Send the Pain Below
by CleverforClever
Summary: Justin and Alex talking about one-sided Jalex. What if one of them felt 'that way' but the other didn't? They'd send the pain below. Based on Cheville's 'Send the Pain Below' song. There's a youtube video for it on my channel. This is a series of different stories. Some are connected, some aren't.
1. Chapter 1 Alex

Send the Pain Below…

Chapter 1 Alex

I sit in my audacious room pouting. I don't even know what that word means, but Justin used it one time, and now I can't get it out of my head.

Just like him.

My name is Alex Russo, and… you think you know me. I'm sure that whore Gigi has made her rounds telling everyone the truth; I love my brother. It's so stupid, but so true.

And I don't even care.

You think you know me; I'm pretty, I'm pushy, I'm…. pathetic.

School is the worst. Harper knows, she's rambling on about Jeremy from science, though I've never actually seen the guy, but she knows. Once the hall clears, she pulls me into a hug, and I sob into her shoulder like we're little kids again.

I wish I didn't feel this way. I wish I could send the pain below, away from my heart. It's like I'm suffocating.

Harper tries, so hard for me, all the time. I can't find a better friend, but I still push her away.

I have to find him; I have to find Justin, my Justin. Ever since I was little, he's been mine. Everything about him is mine. His attention has always been on me, his anger has always been for me, he is my Justin.

I find him flirting with a girl and feel a small stab of pain. Wow, didn't know my heart would react like this. Sure, I'm used to the usual stuff, feeling ignored or replaced, but now it feels like he's purposefully hurting me because this time, I'm not involved. In every other case, Justin has asked for my help, no… my permission. He knows how important he is, and not just in a bragging sense. He knows I need him. He pats her shoulder and sends her on her way.

His attention is all on me now, I can feel it. He just… zeroes in on me when I'm around. I know I sound like I have a huuuuuge crush (and with good reason) but listen; Justin feels something for me too. Maybe he feels the same way.

"Oh hey, Justin, cute shirt, did you have to mug a Care Bear for it?" It gets his attention. I love his face, the way he reacts to me all the time. It's like I'm already under his skin. I feel more than see him tense up.

"That's an excellent way of asking me in a roundabout way how to attack such a creature. Leave it to Alex Russo to be too lazy to research her on own potential criminal acts!" He snorts before I can. My head shakes the hair from my face as he brushes by.

"Hey! I at least gave you credit for taking down a bear…!" I grabbed his arm just as we have since we were toddlers. He jumped back like it burned him. I stood there shocked as he glared silently.

"And I gave you credit for not already mugging an innocent creature. Don't you have class?" His eyes lit up darkly, "Oh, right… you don't have any class!"

He snickered to himself. This wasn't him, my Justin was snippy but this was downright cruel. I squeaked indignantly, ignoring Harper's attempt to stop me.

"Justin!" I called. He froze and everything changed. Something was wrong here. It was like, "Guess this spell" where Dad would make us cast a random spell. It was always something stupid. One time, no lie, it was the "everyone guesses wrong" spell. I swear, wizards are the dumbest people ever. The sensation though, knowing that something was wrong, that a force had acted here that I could not identify, was terrifying.

"Alex…" His tone was… hurt? And angry, and a million other things, "I know. And don't play dumb, and don't try to treat me like I'm too dumb to see what you are."

A wetness hit my eyes, and my breathing hitched. Surely he couldn't… Harper came over, "Justin, maybe you better leave…"

"NO!" I growled, "Say it, say it to my face!"

He shook his head, "I am so disappointed in you, Alex. You're my sister, how could you ever think we could…?" He sighed, "Take that emotion, and bury it, deep, and then send it lower than that. Bury all of your emotions below your deepest point."  
And he walked off with my heart.


	2. Chapter 2 Justin

Chapter Two

In the course of history, it is generally accepted that human weakness is the reason of all suffering. This is a general statement, one that is vague enough to argue on whatever side your philosophy dictates to take. Perhaps you are compelled by religious beliefs, or use psychology to find your way through the labyrinth of our world.

I would like to add to this understanding; the root of suffering is Alex Russo. I should know. I'm her brother.

This is more factoid than anything else; I am the most intelligent person at my school, perhaps in the state. It is likely that this holds true to the country, but intelligence is only a matter of memorizing facts. I am not 'brilliant,' things do not come to me as easily as they do others. There is one thing in particular that does not come to me.

Alex does not know how I feel. Before saying the word, 'incest' I would put forth an audacious theory in which I do not require justification. You see, I do not feel amorous attraction to my sister; I just love her, very, very deeply. She matters to me more than anything.

People who see us together think that we're madly in love or something. It's not like I want to kiss her, or marry her, I just can't let her go.

But she can let me go. That's what causes my suffering, my deepest pain. See, my baby sister is self-reliant. From the day she could walk, she had me chasing her. The only time Alex looks for her older brother is when there is no other way out.

That pain, that I need her, and she doesn't even want me, hurts me deeply. I don't know how far down it is… but I don't think it will go any lower.

I love my sister more than anything, but she does not love me, not really.

I love her.

She is so beautiful, and confident, and radiant… there is no one else out there like her.

I love her and… She does not love me, she cannot. To me, love is alive, to love like living for someone. I like math, I love Alex. If she cast a spell to get rid of all numbers (which sounds so much like her) I would still love her.

She bursts into my room without thought of privacy. I could be doing something private, but all that matters is her problems.

"Justin! You need to hurry, c'mon, I have something that's actually important to do!"

Yeah, that hurt me. But I shove it down, because I do not know what I am putting that pain below, exactly. It is not really affection, but I do know what would happen if I do not put it down. She would suffer. And that is not going to happen anytime soon.

I fix her problem in time for me to go back to, 'something important' without even receiving thanks.

Maybe Alex is not the root of all suffering for humanity, but she is mine.


	3. Chapter 3 Justin and Alex

Send the Pain Below; Justin and Alex

Justin and Alex

Justin and Alex were sitting in the diner doing typical Justin and Alex things. One, and you know who this is; was carefully counting the register change in an alien language. The other was lounging at a table with her boots up, tossing sugar cubes in the air, and catching them in her mouth.

They had not spoken in a week. They lived in the same house, worked the same shop, and were both wizards, and yet…

And yet they could not find the courage to talk about what had happened. Max shook his head in frustration.

He called, "Employee meeting!" knowing full well Justin would run upstairs to get his notes from the last one and Alex, full of sugar now, would make a break for it. He dragged his sister to a booth and made her sit down. Justin leapt down the stairs with a chart. Oh, this was going to be a long one, Max could just tell.

"Alright, Justin, sit down. Alex, you and Justin are going to talk. I don't know what happened after the competition, and I don't want to know. Get to your conversation!" He then left the two of them alone, knowing full well that two full wizards could incur plenty of damage to his shop.

The sat in silence looking desperately past each other at nothing. Alex reached for more sugar cubes, and Justin flinched, which in turn made her flinch.

"Sorry!"  
"No, my bad, I didn't mean too…"

"Yeah, that's me, uh….."

They both sighed. Knowing he had to take the lead, Justin spoke first, "I don't think this is what Max had in mind when he told us to talk."  
"Yeah, you look like you're talking to some cute girl, Justin. 'Uh, my bad, your Hotness, I mean, you're beautiful and hot, and I mean I'm a dork, oops! I speak alien language!" She laughed, and then realized how close they were and blushed.

"Alex, you are pretty, but that's not the problem here," Justin lowered his voice, "Why did you kiss me after the competition, but not Max?"

She rolled her eyes, preparing some sort of lie, but she caught his eye, and started squirming, "It was just on the cheek, gosh!"

"That wasn't my cheek," He said lowly. Something about the combination of uncomfortable tension mixed with her brother seemingly making a reference to his butt made Alex laugh loudly. Justin, shocked at first, stared at her before joining her.

When they stopped she glared at him, "You're such a dork!"

"Alex," he paused, "We can't… be together any more. You know that, right?"

"Justin, you'll always be my brother, right?"

He nodded and smiled, "Of course, just… we won't have adventures together. I've read 'Charmed and Dangerous' Harper is the one who you take."  
Telling Alex Russo she had to do something was about as stupid as tackling a mother grizzly bear while naked, and covered in honey. She hissed her disapproval.

"I will go where I want, when I want, the way I want, if I want to!" Her anger petered out as her habit of defending herself to Justin kicked in and she had to qualify her statements with, "Of course, I'm generally on the couch, or in a chair…" She shook her head, "But you don't tell me what to do!"  
He looked sadder than ever, "Alex… we can't…"

Her anger twitched on her face, then slowly, slowly sagged, "No… we have so much fun! Think of all the things we've done together, all the things we've done for each other… you promised, you promised you'd never leave me…!"

Justin knew she was about to cry, so he grabbed her hand, "I'll always be there, Alex, and you'll always be with me… but I know what you're feeling right now."

Her face was pure shock, and she sputtered. If he knew what she was really feeling… he might actually leave her. What if he was freaked out by her, and thought she was some weirdo? What if he did not care about her anymore?

He was waiting for the right moment. Then she asked, "Do you feel it too?"

She looked so unsure of herself he had to tell the truth, "Yes."  
She gasped. Alex was never shocked, not really. She had spent years pretending to be surprised by things she had herself intended, but never had she dreamed of this moment.

Justin hated the next part, "Which is why we can't do this, why we cannot be together anymore."

Alex looked down, "You're my brother…"  
"Max is your brother," He corrected her, "Dad has a brother, we, well, we are unprecedented." Knowing she did not know the meaning of the word, explained it softly, "We are new, and unique. I don't know how our bond is stronger than that of the rest of our family, but it is."

He got up and hugged her. Alex did not know that, feeling guilty, Justin had broken up with Juliet, and was now going to have to flash himself to his lonely, bare room at Wiz-tech. Justin did not know that Alex had accidentally sent Mason into a void and was actually there to ask her brothers for help. She too, would go back to her room alone.

Alex sniffed away her tears, listening as Justin told her to 'push it down' that someday she could send her pain away. She told him that pain would be forever in her heart. She would never, 'send the pain below.' Justin claimed he was allergic to Max's new cleaners, and flashed away. Alex flashed to her room for some privacy.

Max let a tear fall from his vantage point on the stairwell, knowing he had witnessed the end of something beautiful.

Author's notes; I decided I wanted to keep writing on how unfair Jalex can be. I've decided to avoid all the unnecessary smut and focus on the emotions. I have some ideas for the next few chapters. Review and I write. Stand there silently reading while listening to 'Baby, Baby, Baby' and I'll make the next chapter about Max's belly button lint. Questions? Comments? I'm open.

And here's the video for the fanfic; watch?v=0LujEFHOKs4


	4. Chapter 4 Mason

Mason

**You think you love Alex like I do? I love Alex, I do. I will love her like no other. And you know what? Alex Russo is in love with me. That's right, you pathetic shippers, Alex Russo loves Mason Greyback! And I have magic to prove it!**

**But still, Justin/Alex is the main ship of 'Charmed and Dangerous.' Why, why must people do this to me? I am her boyfriend, her tragic love, not her brother!**

I can see her, sitting there, completely content. She has her hair down a bit in the back, the way I like it, her eyes, so expressive, are searching the pages of her latest spell book. For those of you who do not know her personally, let me say this; you do not truly love her. You readers get Harper's point of view, a viewpoint blinded by her friendship with Alex, and her obsession with Justin. Does that sound impartial? And here I am, popped in after she's written the first few chapters, trying to act like I belong. It's maddening!

And then here comes Justin, and they get into it over something stupid. And he says something that really hurts her, so she runs away. And he just walks off.

Here's the truth; Justin tolerates Alex; he does not love her. **I love her!** When they are together, only bad things happen. I'm sure for those of you that read 'Charmed and Dangerous,' the fights these two get into are cute, but for me, they're terrible. The books cannot go where Harper cannot, so let me take you there.

Let me take you to the hallway outside the Russo bathroom. Let me tell you where I go, to know what I know. To have the hearing of a wolf, and listen to your girlfriend sob her eyes out. To have a nose powerful enough to smell her body flooded with chemicals trying to heal a broken heart. **I can practically feel her heart beating irregularly!** Now tell me how powerful their love is...

And it's only Monday. Once Alex won the competition, she expected the world to be at her feet. Being a wizard will do that to you. But now, things have gotten rough. She returned to visit her brother Max, and she and Justin got into some stupid fight.

Alex does love him, in a way, in her own way. She admires him, and he takes that admiration, he takes that love, and he ignores it. For what, actions figures?

As a werewolf, I have to deal with a wolf inside me, something vicious and powerful. Right now, it wants to rip Justin apart. I settle for knocking on the door. She ignores me. I knock louder, "Love, it's me."

Nothing I say right now will make it better. Alex tells me to go away. I am stubborn, so I ignore her too. I knock again. The door opens, and she staggers out, eyes puffy, her nose running from crying. It kills me to see her like this.  
"Fine, we're broken up, again! Go away!" and she slams it into my face. I am done leaving her; never again. I will never leave her again. I rip the door off its hinges. The shock on her face is mirror on mine. I only meant to knock again.  
Laying the door aside, I await her permission. She makes room for me beside her. She loves running her hand through my hair. It is like being her pet dog, only… she needs this, needs me. But I am still not enough.  
Soon, she will dry her eyes, we will get back together, and she will get angry at him over something, then they fight. Nothing good ever comes from this. They endure suffering, and for what? Family obligation is not supposed to be this costly. I wish I could take her away. Show her what she means to me. Instead, I know where we'll be next Friday. We will be here, in her old house, fighting the same fights she has been fighting since she was born, and nothing will ever change. Her hurt is real. And I cannot take her hurt away.  
I love Alex. I do not know how to say this, but I love her. In some way, perhaps Justin does too, but from the family 'pet dog' let me say… There is too much pain here. And long before having hurt, I wish I could send her pain below.

A.N. This chapter turned out much worse than I thought. Honestly, this was supposed to be a 'sorry' to the Mason/Alex ship. The idea is that he sees things from Alex's side, and only understands when she's affected. And he's emotional. So, I did a bad job, sue me.

No, sue! No own! I do not own 'Send the Pain Below' or 'Wizards of Waverly Place'.

Somebody asked me to expand upon a chapter. I'm of two minds. One mind says, "This is a series of one-shots, like Final Fantasy." Another says, "But Final Fantasy X got a sequel."  
What do you think? Should I stick with going from character to character? Or, should I write more from Justin and Alex's point of view?


	5. Alex's Reflection

This is a story of pure and simple Jalex teasing. I will never, ever, ever, get them together.

That being said, enjoy.

Chapter One

Why couldn't he see me the way I wanted him to see me? I get it now. I love my brother Justin, just, more than who he thinks I am.

The truth is, I lost the wizard competition. I freed Justin because I wanted him to win. He was the responsible one. He was the one who knew me so well. Why didn't he look me in the eyes and _KNOW_.

I love you.

But then there's Mason. I can't break his heart. If I won, we would be together. So... I threw the game. Mason would understand. He would bawl his eyes out, but move on days later.

But I can't move on. I love Justin. So I figure: throw the match. Justin wins, keeps his powers, moves somewhere far away, but still visits you. His girlfriend does not have to convert him for the two to stay together.

But then Justin goes and does THAT.

I should have known, it was such a Justin thing to do. Throw away your own happiness for what is right. I would have kept the power if I were him. I wouldn't let him be stuck with that vampire girl. Still, he admits that I won. Even though he is clearly the better choice, the rightful heir, Crumbs gives it to me.  
I'm the family wizard. More power than I could ever imagine flows through my veins. The work of a lifetime has paid off, and I will have eternity to sit back and enjoy the rewards.

I am so miserable.

I see his face. He is so sad. All the things he has done for me, and done to earn this, and he still failed. When I was a girl, I found a young bird that could not quite fly. I chased it forever 'til Dad yelled at me. I think about that bird; it flops around incapable of doing what it knows it ought to be.

Justin _should_ be a wizard. I gave it to him. And he just gave it right back. For an egghead, he has no idea why I did this.

Why doesn't he see what I was trying to do?

Why doesn't he see me for who I am?


	6. Justin's Reflection

I see her for who she is. She thinks I don't notice the subtle glances, the way we give to one another? Our whole lives have always centered on give and take between us.

That's why I made Alex the family wizard. She does deserve it. From an outsider's, or insiders, perspective, it ought to be me up on that platform. But, no… it had to be Alex. When I lost the first time, I felt something horrible; a gaping loneliness. At first, I thought I could fill it with magic by studying harder than ever. But it always got back to Alex telling me I was fine the way I am, loved the way I am.

Alex does not think I know what she is doing, giving up her powers. She does not even think I know what I was doing. I put my foot under that root on purpose. Any wizard with half a brain can free themselves, this was different. She was not supposed to notice, because if she could notice, she would stop. Alex is many things, but turning her back on someone is something just beyond her.

She freed me, let me win. So I forfeited. Crumbs suspected nothing, or at least, did not care. Alex would be miserable without magic, and when she tried to live without it… she just was not the same.

….

…Juliet does not know. I cannot tell her. How can I explain giving up my dreams? And without magic… I will die a mortal death. That thought haunts me as she takes my hand. The professor awards Alex and awards her the power, then turns to me. I can hardly believe my ears. I have dreamed of being a headmaster. It is truly a dream come true. And, as a bonus, I got to keep my magic.

We all went home happy. And I am happy because I know Alex is happy. Magic is in our lives forever, and even Max seems to be in a good mood. The family is together, and we have survived. Alex will go to sleep smiling tonight.  
I know, because I see her, even if she does not think I do.


	7. Little Sister ep One

My name is Justin Russo. I am five. I can count to one thousand, and read my daddy's books. I like to read, eat and play.

My little sister is Alex.

Alex likes to be mean.

Alex does not like to read.

I do not want a little sister. Alex is mean, and kicks things. Alex takes my toys. Alex breaks my toys. Mom says I will have a little brother soon. I hope a little brother is better than a little sister. I hope a little brother is not mean, does not take my toys, and like to read. My little brother is Max.

Alex is angry. Alex does not want a little brother Max. Alex told me so. I told her it would be okay. I told her that I did not want a little sister.

Alex cried. Mom yelled at me. I told mom to stop having girls. Mom yelled at me.

I was told to say sorry. I went to my room. Alex came to my room and said sorry. Alex said that Max is her brother. I told her I am her brother. We hugged. We said that we were sorry. I told her that I like having a sister.  
Alex was happy.

I want a little brother Max.

I want a little sister Alex. Alex is mean. Alex takes my toys.

I like having a little sister Alex.


	8. Big Brother ep Two

My name is Alex. I am five years old.

Justin is a nerd. Mom says I am not to say Justin is a nerd. Justin is still a nerd. Mom also says I have to learn how to write good. She has Justin teach me how to write and count. Why do I need to count past one hundred? That is a lot of counting!

I have a little brother Max. Max smells bad. Max makes noise. I do not like Max. I do not like brothers. Justin is my brother. he helps me learn things I do not like to know. Justin helps me a lot. Max does not help me a lot. Max smells bad.

Does Justin not like me? He makes a lot of noise when mom says he is to help me a lot. But he does not smell bad like Max. I am sad. Does Justin not like me like I do not like Max. That makes me sad. I make a lot of noise and mom says that Justin likes me.

I do not think mom knows what she is talking about. Dad says that a lot. Justin says that "the teaching process is very rewarding sometimes." That means that I have to do something boring.

Justin was teaching me to count today. I got angry. I hit him in his no no. It was funny. Justin got mad a lot. Max made noise. Mom sent me to my room.  
I was alone. I do not want to be alone a lot. Justin came to see me. I said I was sorry. He said he liked me.

My name is Alex. I am five years old. My brother Justin is a nerd. Mom does not know what she is talking about. Justin does not like me.  
I like Justin.

A.N. It is really, really hard to write like a five year-old. Especially when you consider my style of writing. Nevertheless, there it is. It's sad and stuff. I wanted to hit home that their fights and make-ups went back as far as they could. I am tempted... still, next up is an extended one-sided Jalex. As stated at the beginning, this is not a 'we all go home happy' thing. This is nothing but Jalex unhappy, unloved, unfullfilled.  
Please check out the music video for this fic (Jalex Send the Pain Below) and read to review.


	9. Little Brother ep Three

**I am Max. I like poop.**

_It would benefit me to explain that sentence a bit more clearly._

**Justin is with me. Poop.**

_And by this I mean that my eldest brother Justin, is currently helping me write out a journal entry._

**Poop.**

_...Not sure what this means._

**Poop is gooder than poo.**

_...That's not a thought, really._

**Pooooop! Is gooder than thought!**

_I seem to have forgotten that my dear brother Justin is in charge, and has declared this a 'no-poop' zone._

**Why does Justin like Alex gooder than I?**

_...Uh...?_

**I am little. I like attention. I do not make no-no words. Alex makes no-no words a lot. Justin is a no-no word a lot when Alex makes no-no words. Justin talks to Alex. Alex talks to Justin. A lot.**

_...I would also point out that Justin does not necessarily like to hear those no-no words. And that he is likely trying to defend himself._

**That was a load of poop.**

_Look, it would do me, Max Russo, well to remember that his older brother Justin is doing this out of the goodness of his heart, schooling me. And that I should try some of the harder words. Words bigger than 'poo'._

**"POOP!"**

_Whatever._

**Okay. Justin is gooder-**

_Better._

**Really?**

_...Max should try harder. What do you really want to say?_

**Justin is gooder teacher than Alex.**

_And what did Alex teach Max?_

**Poop!**

_Yes, she taught Max to say poop and now that is all he says. One day Justin is going to be free of Alex, and live happily ever after with some hot girl that he actually enjoys hanging out with. Maybe that Miranda girl..._

**Justin has no chance.**

_Justin knows where to get ice cream._

**Justin is gooder chance and gooder teacher!**

_Much better. Now, to actually write something in this entry. How about what Max did today._

**Justin went to the park. Alex went to the park. Alex called Justin a no-no word in front of Miranda.**

_Yes, yes she did. And so Justin had to drag her home and explain to his parents why it is important to teach their children proper English, which then prompted them to have him look after his little brother._

**Poop.**

_That's a valid point of view here. Now Max writes down what Max is actually thinking. Like... with thoughts?_

**Thoughts... **

**...Alex and Justin. Justin and Alex. It will always be that way.**

...

...

...

_...Poop._

**POOOOOOP! See it is fun!**

**A.N. For those of you who couldn't follow it... it's not that well written, but Justin is helping Max write. It seemed funny to me when I was doing it... I want to thank my reviewers. Now why is it that this is one of my more popular fics? My 'M' rated one that came out of me like vomit is actually my most popular. Why? Well, next few chapters will be an extended one-sided Jalex. Please R&R. Please check out the official video for this story.**

**Also, I am finishing part three of Wizards of 'Warts. If anyone is interested, you know how to contact me.**

**Questions? Comments? I'm all ears...**


	10. Crying Storm 1

Alex Russo was hungry. She had just finished her lunch but she was still starved. It was like a massive hole had opened up inside her, and swallowed everything that she was. Justin was working behind the counter again. What had been a nerdy, pasty body had been sculpted into a warrior machine. He had been working out, obviously.

She ran upstairs knowing he would ignore her, again. The hole grew.

Alex rushed into the bathroom and started crying. Why did he have to be her brother? Why did he hate her so much? Okay, so occasionally, she made fun of him, stole from him, _hated_ him, but that was because she could not love him. Anyone else could love him that way- not her.

It was unfair of the universe to place her so close to her love, and yet so, so far away. Alex loved his hair, his muscles, that smirk he got when she was around… his body was a temple. She loved the way he got her worked up, the way he got her high, and the way he set her down. And he almost never disappointed her.

But now he knew she was sick. He was aware of her, "stupid crush" and refused to speak to her. Their parents did not even know yet. She paled at the thought of them finding out. She would rather die.

Her chest was on fire from the pain. She manifested her magic, a glowing orb appeared in her arms. It was wild and unruly, a bad sign.

The pain in her heart increased with each second. Every breath stabbed her as she counted all the things she would never have; contentment in her boyfriend, a happy marriage, children, the love of her life.

The pain grew and grew. Her magic warped and twisted. Justin said that he had to tell their parents to get her help, but she did not _need_ help, she needed _JUSTIN_. But being Justin meant telling their parents.

All that Alex thought about was how much she did not want her parents to find out. It was raining now. Her heart ached even more as she stepped out on the balcony. The radio was on downstairs, blaring a weather report.  
Alex reached to the sky. Ribbons of lightning flashed. She used her magic to touch the weather. One flash, and she was dead.

The universe owed her that much. She used all her will to pull down a bolt.

10,000 volts rushed through her. The agony was sweet relief. She felt something else; a shock run through her. _Mom, Dad…_ She thought to herself, _I'm so sorry._

~If you want a good grade it's going to have to be a well-rounded essay.

mr

A.N. It's mysterious! Anywho, the later chapters here border on 'M' for some themes. It's not really graphic, but... if you feel as uncomfortable as I do in those kinds of stories, just skip six and seven. After that, I promise, it is going to focus on emotional damage! Really!


	11. Death in the Family 2

Next Chapter

Alex awoke in the arms of her angel. She blinked stupidly. How could she have made it to heaven? That hole feeling was gone.

Justin stroked her face, "Hey Alex."

Once she knew that her life had not ended, she rose to her wobbling legs.

"Careful," he scolded, pressing her against his body. She reacted. Her face and chest flushed with blood against her will.

"What happened?"

Justin gave her a look of condescension. It bothered her, but in a good way. That look meant he had answers, and she needed answers.

"Someone was playing in the middle of a lightning storm. Now, I know you don't like the weather girl, but…"

Alex ducked her head down to keep him from seeing how red she was getting.

"Alex, I need to tell you something," he led her to a couch. Justin laid her gently on their family room furniture, and knelt in front of her. The second he was down on one knee, so close to her, her breath stopped. Then her heart skipped a beat. He took her hands in his.

"I need you to take a breath, 'cause… there's really no way to say this," He looked her in the eyes. They swelled with tears. Justin swallowed, "The truth is; I love you more than anything on this planet!"

Alex's mouth, desiring his, took its own initiative, "Justin-"

He cut her off with his hand, "There's just no way to say this."

Her heart was hammering in her chest, the world moved past her in a blur, seasons changed in the time it took her to take a breath.

But something was wrong.

"Alex… there was an accident."

Well that was random.

"Mom and Dad were driving Max home in the storm. I told them the percentages, but… something went wrong. The weather took a sudden turn for the worse…"

The world, a second previous full of bright colors, was drowned in bleakness.

"They're dead, Alex."

She cried. Justin caught his little sister as she fell forward. After saving her life, he knew she would be filled with hope. Life just might be worth living. But he had to bring her back to reality. It felt like she was falling back into that hole.

"I don't understand."

"They say it was a freak accident. A lightning bolt hit the car. It swerved and exploded."

Alex froze in her stuper. She must have unconsciously used magic to keep her parents from ever coming home. She locked herself in her room for the rest of the week.

~D, I've come to expect better of my students. Please meet with me after class in two days.


	12. Back to School 3

Next Chapter

It was all her fault. Alex had killed her own parents, and for what? To gain some time with the man she loved, who would never love her back? So he could tell her more often he would never love her? And what if he found out? There were many, many, many times when he had been disappointed in her. Dozens of instances where she asked for his help, and that look, not the one of empathy, but of disgust; how many times had she seen it?

"Justin, I _accidently_ used to magic..." He would try and fix it, of course. He would teach her to block her chakras or something she could not understand while he spoke, and then he would leave her. She would be all alone in a hole in the world. That look haunted her for days. She feared it every time she spotted him. What if he figured it out? What if he used that wonderfully deductive brain and saw that the person closest to him was beyond horrible. Infatuation with him had driven the two apart; after this...

Someone came to her door. Justin knew better than visit her these days. He had allowed her space, something that soothed her and killed her all at the same time. What if he knew or suspected? What would happen to her when he found out?

So she, a monster, was forced to live in her room. They ought to kill her. She buried herself in her own hole, desiring to fall away for forever.

"Go away," Alex said, sensing someone outside, "Or I'll curse you."

There was a pause. She figured they were gone, whoever they were. Justin and Harper knew what she would do if she got her hands on her wand.

"You've threatened me with worse little filly, so you've got to do better than that."

Confusion painted her features, "Mr. Laritate, is that you?"  
She opened the door. He drew back in disgust, "Is that you Russo?"

She threw her arms around him. He was… annoying yet reassuring. In some ways, he was one of her best friends. Alex stayed in the hug, afraid of what would happen if she let him go. He patted her back, "It's time to get back up on the stud horse."

She laughed. It did not stop for several minutes. The bumbling principle had unknowingly made a dirty reference. She held onto the hug. Here was someone who would never suspect she had used magic against her parents. He was chubby, and that made it easier to hold onto him.

It startled her a bit to find him hugging her back, "You don't leave your prize livestock at home."

She laughed again. Laritate released his hold on her, and they talked about her plans. Alex, for once in her life, was truly grateful that he was around. Due to her circumstances graduation next year would be unlikely. Still, if she got her act together a bit, he may be able to, "bloke some smoke" around.

So she pulled herself together and went back to school. Harper did not speak to her. There was nothing to say, so their friendship fell apart. It hurt, but what other option was there? There was no way to reconnect.  
"Hey, Alex, are you still in love with your brother?"  
"Yeah, totally, but I also totally killed my parents to be with him."

"Awesome, let's, like, totally do our totally awesome hair to impress him!"

Yeah, and Justin would love to see them hanging out together. The two girls who obsessed over him. Her brother had enough problems in his life, anyways.

Her brother did not seem to be anywhere lately. It was like he fell down a bottomless pit. According to the school, he had decided to graduate early. He left in the morning before she got up, and got back to the house after she went to sleep.

Justin looked so much older now.

Alex decided to cook for him. The sandwich supplies were going bad anyways, so it was necessary to take some action. On Saturday she waited up for him. It was approaching three in the morning before he stumbled in exhausted. His eyes... were... off. No life in them at all. It hurt Alex because of all the holes she found herself falling into, his eyes were the most comfortable. They spoke of love, of warmth, time by the fire in winter, and of water in spring. And they were always on her. That was the best part.

He lit up when he saw her. Justin was surprised to see her up, "Hey Alex, what're you doing up?"  
She shrugged, "Putting my head together. What's the game plan?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, filling her body with warmth again. She cursed her libido. It had the absolute worst timing ever.

"Uh, well, there's not much of a plan period."

This was a bad sign, "So what're we supposed to do, then?"

He sighed, "I've already done it."

They ate together in silence. Neither of them wanted to talk really. Justin eventually explained, "Look, I've been thinking; we can't keep the shop. It's too expensive, and we don't have the manpower-"

That earned a 'girl power is equal to man' look.

"Fine, we don't have the ability to keep this place open," He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed thoroughly, swallowed, and took a sip of water, "So I have to sell it."

Another chunk of her heart was gone. Justin saw her eyes fall, "Hey," He grabbed her hand, "At least we'll always have each other."

Her heart warmed a bit after that. They ate a bit more happily, not knowing the sequence of events that was about to unfold.

~D, if you want a better grade than a 'D' you're going to have to explain why they are doing what they are doing. C'mon, you're an 'A' student. Pick up the pace here.

A.N. I want to thank everybody who has reviewed this. Just to let you know, I update based on three things; 1) Reviews, you keep makin' 'em I keep putting stuff out for you to think about. 2) {Not _every_ fiction, but...} Page views on Youtube. I love that people read my stories, but I'm trying to get people to see my stuff, too. For my 'M' story, I based it off of whether or not people were watching WizEminem. 3) Boredom.

So, if you want more, or if you just want to tell me I suck, you know what to do!


	13. Ice Cream 4

Next Chapter

"**Justin, no**!" Alex screamed at the top of her lungs. It had been a horrible month. She had just gotten used to school when she had been informed that her absences had piled up. She had to bring in a "parent or legal guardian" to discuss a course of action.

Her guardian was Justin. And her guardian was busy. He was moving out of the building, moving their lair, and dealing with finances in general. She had to sell most of her possessions. Justin had lost every doll, er, action figure, he had ever owned.

Even Alex had been depressed at that. Now, after weeks of paper-work, contracts, packing, and more paper-work, the Russo siblings were enjoying a much-deserved night off.

Justin had ice cream on his neck. He shot his sister with whipped cream, cascading the white foam onto her face.

"Looks like you've been _whipped_, Alex," He crowed.  
Her groan at his pun should have been more heartfelt. Then his hand scooped some of it off and put the cream in his mouth. Justin liked whipped cream, so now Alex loved it. She licked the ice cream off his neck, tickling him.

"No, stop!" He yelled drawing back. He let out a surprisingly girlish squeel and jumped off his little sister. Alex was not done with him yet.  
She tackled him to the floor. They wrestled for a moment, Alex, on top, dumping cookie-dough on his torso laughing madly while Justin, enjoying himself too, sprayed whipped cream into her face . It was sheer bliss compared to what they had been through. The smell of cherries was stained into her hair. Her shirt dripped of chocolate and strawberry syrup. Their bowls were forgotten on the counter. Right beside Alex's there was a thin drizzled line that had an abrupt break approximately the size of Justin's wrist. He had, at first, believed it to be an accident. Justin sucked the syrup off his skin, and sprayed some strawberry into Alex's mouth good-heartedly.

Alex just _had_ to look down as he was doing it, resulting in her face turning bright red. Her glare declared war on the boy foolish enough to spray her face.

They grabbed condiments and went to town on one another. Ice cream slop littered the corner of their tiny apartment. The were fighting twenty minutes later when Alex discovered the caramel syrup in Justin's pocket. Her eyes widened in surprise. When he saw her face light up, he groaned. Alex ripped it from him, guzzled a good amount down, coughing when finished, then pointed it at his face.  
"Prepare, Justin to beg for mercy."

They both laughed whole-heartedly.

Then it ended. Justin told her, "Alright, my little sister wins this round." And he left for the bathroom. He walked away to their tiny bathroom.

Alex sat back on the floor in shock. He felt like her live-in boyfriend to her. But she was still just his little sister. He would never love her the way she loved him.

Alex threw the can of whipped cream at his head, "Hey! What was that for?"  
She pouted turning around so he could not see her hurt. Alex kept herself bottled up. The shower ran for ten minutes, then stopped.

Justin got out. Wrapped a towel around himself, and went to his bedroom. Alex bit her lip nervously. She had to do something she had never done before.

Magic was out of the question. Ever since the **accident**, her magic was too volatile. Whenever she tried to use it without Justin around, it fizzled back, stinging her. It was like it knew what she had done with it.

The police had been suspicious. The bodies had been incinerated almost to the point that they were unrecognizeable. Justin had gone to the morgue alone to identify their parents. She tried to ask him about it, to find some relief for the hole of guilt in her chest.

He had not said a word. Alex wondered if he suspected foul play. The storm acting up suddenly. Their parents getting hit with lightning, and the car crashing uncontrollably.

Justin's mind was always at work. Sooner or later he would recognize she could no longer use magic. Then he would track it back to the day when she could use it last. Then he would figure out why she could not use it, **what** she _had_ used it for.

Then she would have her Justin again.

She took her wand out, and concentrated on what she really, really, _**REALLY** _wanted.

~What are you trying to accomplish here? I think you've missed your thesis. Try harder. Or maybe you just suck.

-Dean

A.N. Who knows what's going to happen?! Also, my many, many thanks to my reviewers. You guys are awesome, and supportive too. The story is technically over, but some of the feedback I'm getting is having an effect. I'll talk to you later.

~Clever


	14. Love in Bed 5

Next Chapter

Justin mumbled incoherently as he woke at six in the morning. In that sweet place between dreams and reality, he mind processed that he was happy. He did not believe it. Once the fuzzy feelings cleared, he registered the presence of one of the most beautiful girls in the world, "Juliet?"

His love was curled up beside him, wearing the same clothes he had last seen her in. Her hair was spread across his chest, her body entwined with his. She woke sluggishly, "Justin…"

He wrapped his arms around her, afraid if he did not hold her tights, she may disappear. He kept squeezing her, harder and harder.

"Justin… you're strangling me."

"What are you doing back? How are you back?"

Juliet looked around nervously, "What do you mean? I'm here, isn't that enough?"

He laughed, "It's more than enough. You're always on my mind. I tried to find you, it's just…"

His face flushed. With Alex, and their parents gone, and with the move… the search for Juliet was no longer near the top of his list of priorities.

"Justin," She looked nervous. That was not like the Juliet he knew. His Juliet was never nervous. She always told him what was going through her head, "I came back so we could do all those things that we never did before I left."

My nodded vigorously, "Yeah, we can walk in the park, play Battleship, and post internet memes about Twilight!"

Juliet threw her head back and laughed, "That's not exactly what I meant."

His arm found its way up her hand to her neck where he smoothed the skin soothingly. She closed her eyes and leaned into his head, "Oh, Justin...!"

"I have to go," He whispered. She bowed her head.

"Can't you stay in? They don't need you that bad!"

He chuckled, she was acting like a child, which reminded him…

"Ugh, and I have to check out Alex," He groaned. There was silence.

"Uh, I think she's a big girl."

Justin groaned louder, "You don't know her like I do." He tried to get up.

She hugged him tighter, "Please don't leave me."

He patted her hand, "I am so glad you're back, but I have to make sure Alex is okay. I can't work thinking that… she may disappear too."

Juliet pushed him back down on the bed possessively and kissed him. He noticed that her taste had changed. She no longer possessed the sweet, subtle lick of vanilla. Her mouth was bitter now, like lemonade.

Justin did not mind. She started slipping out of her clothes. He stopped her, "Please," she begged, "I need this. I need you."

She was surprisingly shy as she stripped. That was surprising. Although they had never had the time, Juliet was not exactly shy in private. She had been with some of the world's greatest lovers; the girl had some serious experience. He undressed too, vaguely aware that something was wrong. He did not want to think about it though. The love of his life was on his bed, naked, and she wanted him. "I love you." He held her close to kiss her. It was not until she gasped in pain that he put it all together.

Justin flew off the bed. Juliet had not been a virgin in a long, long, long, long time. A wave of his wand, and there was Alex in all her glory.

He slapped her. The shock on her face was palpable.

For the first time in a long time he used magic. First, he dressed himself, and then he flashed to his job.

He left Alex alone, naked in the dark, crying.

~F, I thought you were an 'A' level student.

mr Dean


	15. Runaway Problems 6

Next Chapter

Alex's face must have been puffy. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were blotchy. Her nose was an absolute mess. All in all, the young Russo had definitely seen better days. Lines of salt stained what was once the clearest, most beautiful skin in the whole world. Justin- sometimes he would run his fingers along it, just to tickle her pleasantly. She would brush his hand away, even as the area grew inflamed. Their eyes would meet after that. She could tell him anything... even her darkest secret.

That's where it all began.

(A.N. Flaaaaaaaaaaashback time!)

_They were in the lair, giggling. Yes, Justin insisted it was manly to giggle, so he giggled himself away._

_"Alex, stop, you're gonna get in trouble!"_

_She had pinned him to the sofa with magic, "You only say that 'cause you can't get out." He ripped his shirt off, leaving it stuck there instead, "Or maybe you can!" She yelped, "Justin no!"_

_He tackled her to the ground and pinned her there. She felt that familiar flame kindle within her. 'Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Happy thoughts, Alex, just think happy thoughts.' The distance she put in her mind was obliterated when he pulled her shirt up. She gasped in surprise, but fought him half-heartedly. Justin did not think before bending down and pressing his lips to the gentle press of her stomach. _

_Bthppppppppppppppp! Alex laughed louder than ever as he blew a raspberry on her tummy. She lost almost all control over herself. Her mind was a haze of happiness and warmth. There was no missing hole; she felt complete with Justin there. He looked up for a second to ask if he should stop. When no coherant answer came forth, he returned to his duties._

_Being her older brother, he had done this since she was a baby. Perpetually dissatisfied with life, it was a great way to get Alex to laugh. Justin was a pro. When she wrapped her legs around him, he bent them upwards, slightly straining them, and blew on the give of her thigh. She howled animalistically. Her legs flew around him of their own accord. He returned to her stomach. _

_Two arms crossed over. They protected her vulnerable tummy from another assault. He looked up at her. She used this defense often enough that he knew his way around it. He put his mouth on the inside of her arm where the muscle had not tensed yet._

_Bthhhppppbbtt! She roared back. Dopamine flooded her brain as she realized that she was happier than she had ever been in her life. Their parents were gone, and this fight was so much fun! _

_Alex tried to control his face, but ended up pulling it closer to hers. He found his way to the inside of her neck. She squealed loudly. Finally, she hunched down, flashing eyes daring him to make a move. He knew his final blow. Every muscle in her body tensed as he drew closer. He put his lips at the corner of her mouth. The redness from that blow was not just from his work. He sucked in some of her skin to get it loose from the tension of her smile, then went to work on her face. He peppered her with his lips. Her forehead, the corners of her eyes, the edges of her nose... She squirmed and giggled happily. Justin was gentle with her. One wrong move and his teeth might rip into her. He took his time, waiting for her to cover her vulnerable area, only to reveal another equally juicy target._

_Justin stared into Alex's face. She was so happy... he was so happy, too. He lived for times like this. _

_"Justin, I love you."_

_He looked at her in shock, but then repeated that he loved her, too. Alex felt his fingers caress her cheek, wiping away his excess saliva. The places he had touched... they were glowing warm with blood, but the air cooled his liquid. The twofold sensations pushed her skin to its pleasure limits._  
_"No... Justin..." She looked at him. His eyes were so earnest. He would never hurt her, right? "I mean... I really love you!" His eyes spelt out their confusion. So she cleared up the issue. Leaning close, she released her hold on her brother. Reaching up tentatively, she kissed his cheek. He smiled at her earnestly, but he still did not get it._

_She kissed him full on the lips. He did not resist her at all, but when Justin moved away, the look on his face had ripped her heart from her chest._  
_How could she be so stupid?!_

Alex could not even think clearly. She knew she was a mess, her whole life was a mess. Killed her father, murdered her mother, who knows what happened to Max. And she just drove away the last man in her life who truly loved her.

She would go to Laritate's. In the past, her time there was to prank him. He'd show her mercy. She decided to tell him everything. Even if he was horrified, he would never allow a student to go without some help.

Alex packed up her clothes. There was not much left after the move. Well, she always figured she would go down this path: Run away from home; try to make it as an artist, into crime, into prison.

Justin would take her back in a couple of years, right? He had to; she was the most important thing in his life.

Well, until he found Juliet. Then he would move on, and she would be all alone again.

She slammed the suitcase lid down. Alex's face was blank now. It had shed every tear it held. Thirst overtook her. Alex tried to drink some water. It went down her throat coolly. The girl had cried so much, she was dehydrated. Her magic was gone now. Alex tried to use it after her parents died, just to feel that way again, but something kept her from it.

That stunt with Justin... had been an accident. Not that he would believe her. Honestly, she had snuck into his room after he fell asleep. Her brother was exhausted.

Alex touched him. He was so, so warm... and his bed was so soft. When they moved in, there was only one bed. He needed it because he worked all day and into the night. But he wouldn't mind sharing, right? She eased into his form. They fit together so well. She remembered the way he felt. His body was coarse. It poked at her enticingly. It felt like he was teasing her. Alex was breaking the rules again. And she would get caught. Her plan was to apologize, then roll over and go to sleep. She justified it in her mind, 'his body is relaxing now' and 'his breathing has leveled out.' Purely from a physical point of view, Alex was comforting Justin. Subconsciously, he relaxed into her.

Then her magic took on a mind of its own. She wanted to be like that perfect blond that Justin missed so much. She did not even realize what was happening. It was like Juliet was speaking through her. Alex and Justin had been so close...!

Her cheeks burned as her heart thumped its desire painfully. Her lungs breathed out painfully. _No more tears_, she promised herself. There had been enough tragedy in the family.

A picture of the Russo family was the last thing packed. It was precious to her. Jerry and Theresa were fighting that day. Even though they were smiling, they were trying to butt each other out of the photo. Max was staring off in the distance.

Justin and Alex… they were smiling at each other. It was one of the rare times that someone had actually managed to capture that moment they lived for; a brief second in which the brother and sister were happy in each other's presence.

Alex wiped her eyes, picked up her luggage, and walked to the door.

_Goodbye. Goodbye Justin, I love you so much, more than you will ever know..._

Alex let the hole in her heart swallow her up. She jumped back in a flash, literally. Rather, she jumped back from the flash of a wizard using magic to transport himself. Justin was using magic again. She deduced, correctly, that this meant that he had alarmed the place. One of those alarms must have been to keep her in line. He knew somehow that she was misbehaving.

A wave of his wand and her work was undone. Clothes flew into drawers, food back into a pantry. His glare, with some magical assistance, would have killed her. "belt, bedroom, now."

Alex's father had promised her many, many spankings, but she had always managed to squirm out of them. Not this time, Justin was in charge. The look on his face was akin to holy wrath- Alex had crossed a boundary that she should have known not to cross. If possible, he looked more disappointed with her now than he had this morning.

It was a sad time in her life when she measured her brother's disappointment between, "I tried to run away" and "I tried to trick him into having sex with me." Maybe for good measure she ought to throw in her last flub, "I kissed my brother when we wrestled." She sounded like a sick freak, even to herself.

She left for his room. Her hands trembled as she opened the door to his room. Absently, she reached into his top door and withdrew a thin leather belt.

Justin fell down, shaking in the other room. When the alarm buzzed... he had been terrified. What if the few things he and his sister still had were being stolen? What if Alex was being attacked?

But his worst fear, '_what if I'm losing her?_' had been the one to come true. The terror of seeing her with that suitcase, combined with the fear of what he was about to do, what he _had_ to do, was eating him up inside. Just the thought that Alex would be gone, maybe forever, stole the blood from her brother's veins. Justin did not want to hurt Alex, he loved her. On the other hand, he wanted to wring her neck for scaring him so badly. How could two such opposing ideas be true? He suddenly felt empathy for her; she loved him like a brother and like...

His fist balled. Alex had to stay. He sacrificed everything for her. Justin, for the first time ever, felt fury overwhelm him. He could not allow his own fears and weaknesses to control him. This was Alex. She meant everything to him. She was a conundrum; like sunlight during a rainstorm, and warmth at night. Last night... some part of him had registered that someone was in bed with him. If he had just thought a moment, gotten up, he would have known who was there. Instead, he let himself get comfortable with her. What was wrong with him? He knew what she felt. His baby sister had thrown a can at his head! Why was he so stupid?!

Justin clenched his fist until it hurt. He had almost lost her. He had to change. The old Justin was weak, he had almost lost her because he could not take charge of the situation. The wizard knew he had hurt her, again. He had to march in that room and make sure she would never ever feel like that again. That was the worst part. Alex was not leaving out of rebellion. That he had seen too often. Heck, he would open the door knowing she would walk right back in whenever she felt like it. No, she was leaving because she thought that was best. She was leaving because of HIM!

Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo felt horrible. Even if it broke his heart, he had to convince Alex to stick by him. He let out a groan. Why did they have to go through all of this? Why couldn't they just stay up all night and have ice-cream fights and raspberry wars?! He could do that- easy!

He took a breath, walked to the bedroom and opened the door. His face was not puffy. Justin could not afford tears, because only Alex was allowed to cry now.

~Dean m.r., this is highly inappropriate. Two more days of detention. Meet me in my office. Oh, and bring your homework.

A.N. I loooooove you guys! I got a lotta reviews, most of them good, some of them a bit confused. I rewrote the last couple of chapters. What's going to happen next? Maybe I've read a bit too much of Tilante's work recently... Anywho, questions? Comments? Taco? You review, I post too!

Also, this story will be finishing up in... two chapters? Don't worry, I have two more ficlets on the way without any happy endings at all! Okay, actually, there's one that is _almost_ happy, but there's a lot of sad stuff too. (Maybe I need to start torturing these characters outright...)


	16. Together at Last For Now 7

Next Chapter

Alex sat on the bed nervously. Okay, waiting _had_ to be the worst part. She barely remembered the last time this had actually happened to her.

It must not have been this bad though. It was one thing when her mom paddled her. Justin… her brother, her guardian, her lover (almost), etc.? That was totally different.

She swallowed her nervous energy. Getting up right now was a bad plan. Her knees knocked together incessantly. She was about to pace nervously when Justin came in. He looked even worse than she did. His face was pale, and the flesh of his hands were raw.

Neither acknowledge the other audibly. They said nothing to one another. He walked to her, she handed him the belt. Her hand shook as he took it.

So did his.

He helped her stand up, he then helped her down on her knees. Once her grasp on his arm was gone, Justin gently positioned her on the small bed. Biologically, he knew how to tense her muscles. Her legs were positioned so that the tops of her thighs and buttocks were straining. When assaulted, it would subject her to more pain. (The thought almost made him vomit. But he kept in mind this was for her own good. This was the only way to keep her.) He tucked her arms down. This was not a fight anymore. She would not be allowed to defend herself. This was correction. She just could not leave him now.

He absently brushed her hair off her cheek. She was facing forward. Part of him wanted to turn her head to the side, so he could see her face, but he resisted. As her brother, he knew he would not follow through if he saw the pain there. Written out in front of him in tears and screams. He turned her away from him. Justin took a breath, and rested his hand against her back. Alex's back rose and fell nervously. Justin knew she was terrified. This would hurt, and she may hate him, but he had to: for her.

They stayed together for several minutes. Their position was… peculiar for a brother and sister. Alex's pulse raced. Although this would hurt, the position, the placing could not be hotter. She was on his bed, in her own form, and he would be touching her in a very sensitive area. Her waist shivered. As foreign as this experience was to her, she needed to feel him against her. Alex almost wanted Justin to do this. He removed his hand, which alarmed her. Her muscels clenched, expecting the first blow.

She kept her clothes on. Perhaps Justin would be merciful, or perhaps he did not want to go somewhere he knew he could never return from. Whatever his reasoning, she felt the dig of cloth against flesh with a timid attitude.

The first lash snapped a yelp out of Alex. The next two were worse, forcing her to scream. The belt was wrapping around her body now. She had not expected that. Alex did not cry though. She was out of tears.

It kept up. At ten, she bit into the mattress. At twenty her throat was sore from screaming. He kept it up. As painful as it was, the area he was hitting was looking for pleasure. Somewhere in her brain, synapses got crossed. It was so painful, but in a good way. This was penance for her sins. She collasped on the ground, somewhere in the mid-thirties.

Justin stopped suddenly. Alex gasped for air, "Don't you ever do that again Alex, or I swear I'll kill you."

He had never been so angry in his entire life. She was on her side looking up at a monster. His cheeks were red, and tears absently fell from his eyes. He looked even more afraid than she was. Alex took a moment. She was in so much pain from her lower back to the tops of her knees. Justin made sure she felt this; she would not soon forget what would happen if they split up.

"What was I supposed to do?!" She screamed angrily, scrambling to her feet. He dropped the belt, and helped her onto his bed, fixing her up. He straightened her clothes, hair, and then wiped her face. Alex was a mess more than before.

He panted, out of breath himself, "What more do you want from me? I've given you everything! Everything! There is nothing I would not give for you!"

"Not everything," She whispered to him. Alex drew closer to him. He looked at her, "Justin…?"

There was a hole in the conversation. A large, dark place they both fell into as Justin's answer was coming. Alex's breathing hitched and stopped. He sat beside her and held her close, "Please Alex..." He whispered. She felt numb all over.  
"Do you really love me?" He voice came out so small... it sounded like a child asking. Justin made up his mind. There was only one way he knew she would stay. One way to show her that he loved her more than anything.

"Yes," He took off his shirt. It took them a few messy minutes to take off their clothes. Justin stripped quickly, guys had it so easy. Alex took a few minutes to strip off the jewelry and various tops she had on. Justin helped her out of the rest. When her legs were exposed, the cool air on the sore area shocked her into falling onto Justin. She took a moment to build her courage. His hands did not tremble in the slightest. He stripped her of all she wore gently, without trying to hurt her.

Alex found life to be generally unfair, even when being she was treated like a princess. That is why she liked to cheat so much. If life is unfair, why not cheat?

The whole 'sex' issue was unfair to girls. Men had so much more elasticity to their input. (No pun intended.)

Alex knew her first time, (though it had been aborted now reinitiated) would hurt. But this whole deal seemed wildly unfair. When she went online, she liked to read smut fics about the characters from her favorite book series, 'Charmed and Dangerous.' The brother and sister were her obsessions, often having wild sex everywhere. And it was always amazing. They always flirted with one another in places that were compatible to love-making. The sister always convinced her brother to bang her, and the brother was always an expert lover on the scale of Casanova.

She was hot, and he was smoking.

Reality sucked hard. Between the awkwardness of the situation, and actual physics, the coupling went down badly. Alex, who had started having intercourse that day, had problems with straps, and getting Justin positioned right. Add on top of that her sore bottom, and she found herself in a difficult position. She found it difficult to move since the area from her lower back to her knees was painted red. Justin tried to help move her on the small bed, but he could only help her so much.

Apparently Justin was on lunch break, so his time was limited, plus he was about to have sex with his sister. It was a difficult position in which to find a guy.

After two minutes of fumbling, Alex got into a proper pace. It was painful, and more difficult than she ever imagined, but then… then it was not so bad.

She let go. She let go of all her guilt, of all the lies she had told herself for years. Alex allowed herself to be free for the first time in a long, long time. A glow erupted from her as her magic, subconsciously suppressed out of guilt, manifested. It poured out of her pores, flashed out of her eyes, burnt from her tongue, and crackled lightning-like out of her hair. Justin, busy as he was, noticed when objects started exploding. He jumped off of her.

Alex was out of control. Her naked skin glowed orange and fizzled. Eruptions of green light sporadically flew from her. Her eyes glazed over, unaware of how amazing it felt not to fell horrible all the time.

Seconds later, the surge of power stopped. They panted, "Okay, I'm going back to work."

Justin shook his head. Nothing he did would work. He flashed to his job, and reset the alarms. Maybe, if he was real, real lucky, Alex would be fine. Maybe she was over it. Maybe she could just roll over and go to sleep.

He was delusional.

Alex curled into a ball, and found more tears to cry.

~F, and you have another detention. Is this the best you can do? I thought you were a genius.

A.N. Has no one looked at the last line of these stories and come up with a theory?! Almost done. Like... one more chapter before this arc is over. Someone has stated that there are no 'happy stories' on here, so I will be posting something cheerful. Now, go out and enjoy October of 2012. I will.

Oh, and thanks to Smiley for the constant reviews. Here's a smiley face for you!

:)

;) If you know what I mean...


	17. The Secret End 8

Next Chapter

There is a massive hole in the wizard world. Its diameter expands and contracts violently. The bottom of the hole has not been found due to its volatile nature, but given the forces at work, it appears to be a dark bottomless pit that swallows up whatever happens to enter it. The sides of it are pure black. No light is reflected from its surface. No life grows by the pit. The sun never shines down it. Fire, or some form of energy resembling fire, erupts sporadically. The smell is horrible.

It is the closest factual representation of hell living beings have ever known.

Approximately three hours after the events of my last paper, Alexandra Margarita Russo found it a place of respite. Looking down it, she felt that she could pay for her crimes.

Justin found her there, and demanded that she return with him. She declined his offer.

Scholars are unsure what happened next, but it is commonly accepted that Alex confessed to her brother her involvement in their parents' deaths. I do not know what happened next. I can only imagine the look on his face.

We can only assume he told her that he always knew.

We know from the 911 call on the day of their death that Justin was aware of the events underway the moment that his parents crashed. It is my belief that love connects us in ways we do not see; it cares not for time nor space. If it hurts our hearts so deeply that it becomes an actual feeling of pain, the connection we share is powerful enough to do anything. It appears as though Justin somehow sensed that his sister and his parents were in mortal danger.

I know that Justin loved his whole family, but between his parents and his sister, he chose his sister. In the moment it took her to infuse the storm with enough power to stop her parents in their tracks, she was struck by lightning. He went to her side and used magic to save her life. Justin could have gone and saved his parents instead. We must ask ourselves this fundamental question; 'Why did Justin chose her?' Between one family member, and three, it seems obvious the choice he should have made. Instead, he went to the roof of the building and saved his sister. Why didn't he flash to his parents and attempt to save them? He must have known some way to do so.

Respected poet Ronald Longcape Jr. writes in his poem, 'The Hole' that the two jumped in. I choose to believe they were swallowed up.

In conclusion, I must confess, professor, I do not understand the purpose to researching this. Honestly... I just don't know anything anymore.

-Sincerely, Phillip Diffy

Phil sat back from his computer. He hated the fact that he was failing a simple wizard class. When he found out about the "Hole of Two" he figured he could use his math skills to explain it and get a great grade. Instead, he found two people that he just could not turn away from. Phil reminsced about the time that he first learned of the Hole.

"I don't see why it's called 'The Hole of Two. The wizard world is so random," Phil's friend Andy Baxley had whined that in class, spurring their angered teacher to turn him into a guinea pig. It was the best class ever.

There was only one thing that could divert his attention. In an old-fashioned picture frame, a blonde girl smiled pleasantly at him.

His heart broke all over again. Even a century later, he missed her. Although Keeley was the only thing that distracted him, she was also the only person that interested him in the story in the first place. They were all doomed lovers; all of them. Phil had left the only girl he had ever loved back in the 21st century. Who knows what had happened to her?

Phil went to his professor's office and knocked on the door. 'Wizard Studies and Application' was a new class at his school. It had only been taught for a few years. Phil had literally jumped to get in, pouncing to the front of the line to learn about wizards.

His teacher was tough, going off on intelligible tangents, making it difficult to follow his thoughts.

Today though, the dean took Phil to a place where mortals rarely ventured: the wizard world.

It was amazing.

Phil found himself transported right outside the hole. He looked down and understood. Everything; life, death, and the tragedy of love was explained in the ground surrounding the most god-aweful place in the universe.

Bending down, he picked a flower, one of dozens, growing around the lip. The hole was slowly, slowly closing.

His teacher spoke quietly, "They started growing a few decades ago. Even the council was baffled. This horrible, lifeless place has absolutely no life sustaining properties. You can actually suffocate if we stay here too long. But now…" He too stooped to observe the plants, "Now something amazing has happened. And the worst part is that no one knows why. The hole, that horrible thing that has driven minds mad trying to explain it... is disappearing. Something is killing it from the inside out."

Phil could not help himself, "Maybe... maybe even hell is bearable if you love somebody."

"Not everyone gets that."

Phil did. And he could now accept he would never see Keeley again.

A.N. Ha! Not just one, but two unhappy endings. For those confused… this was a writing piece crossover with Phil of the Future. That's right; I tricked you into reading about a future crossover fanfic I am making. Bwa ha ha ha haaaaaa!

Questions? Comments? Insights? I love to hear from you guys. Also, and I hate to be fussy, but no one is commenting on the videos I make for WoWP! 

I put a great deal of effort into 'em! Still, I hope you guys have enjoyed this!

"And Phil," Said his dean.

A.N. Whoa... story's over. Anywho...

"Did any of your research show what happened to Max?"

A.N. Alright, really, I want to whine about how no one is commenting on my videos!

"See, you don't understand the guilt a child has when that child believes that she, or he, caused the death of his parents. What if he thought it was his fault his parents were dead? What if Max survived, and by default, became the family wizard? What if he spent his life as a runaway and wait until he could help someone else... and just like Alex, atone for his sins."

Phil looked on in shock as the wizard presented him with a 'Wizard's First Time Machine.' The name Russo was written on the back.

"Everything changes Phil. Maybe if you go back and get your girl... that'll be enough of a change for the future to save Alex and Justin."

A.N. _ANYWAYS_! Even if Phil finds Keeley, and even if she still loves him, and even if they could theorectically be together-** that doesn't mean this story has two happily-fricken'-ever-fracken'-after endings! Everyone is sad! Okay?!**

**Please review.**


	18. Lovely Death (SISTER)

Lovely Death

Alex hugged Justin tight. They were in her bedroom. She kissed his cheek, and his lips grazed her ear as she set him back on her bed.

The girl took a moment for perspective; she was so young to be doing this, but she wanted him so bad. She needed him.

Concentrating, Alex took her make-shift ingredients and performed the spell. Only two parts were missing. She stroked Justin's face, "I'm doing this for you." He said nothing in return. He could not.

Justin had died two hours earlier.

She shed one more tear and the spell was complete. Death appeared in person.

"Alexandra Margarita Russo," It hissed, "Why am I not surprised to find you here?"

She wiped her tears away, "I am going to restore life to Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo!"

Death laughed, "You need a sacrifice."

She nodded, "I am the sacrifice."

"And the heart of a virgin?"

A beat skipped. Alex ripped open her shirt above her left breast, "Take it," There was silence, "Didn't you hear me, you big dork, I said take it!"

She could have sworn that Death sighed, "I need the heart of a virgin, sorry…"

Alex blushed furiously. What was it talking about? She had _occasionally_ gone a little past kissing, but she had never… "I am a virgin! I have never had sex!"

It was embarrassing to yell, but then again, she was using dark magic. The time for decency was far past.

Death spoke to her, "Virginity is not about your genitalia, sweet Alex. It is your heart. A virgin has never known how to give their heart to someone else. And obviously you already have."

Her breaths came more painfully now, "Bring Justin back, **now**!"

"Are you threatening me?!"

"Yes," She answered plainly. Magic could do a lot of things, inhibit Death itself was one of them, "Magic works on you, so you work for me. **Bring. Him. Back. NOW**!"

Death ignored her, "You ought to know better than to threaten me. Haven't you heard not to mess with the balance of things?"

"That's what Justin is for. _He_ kept _me_ in line! If you don't want me to throw the universe into chaos, bring him back," She lit her wand, "Don't you mess with a wizard!"

Then a flash of golden light enveloped the form of death, "Alex… stop. You have to let this go."

"Justin?" She asked tearfully.

The glow stopped, and Death hovered over her, "Unfortunately, you are correct. Magic does affect me."

"Justin was going to tell me something. Just… let me talk to him. I need to tell him I love him!"

Death groaned wearily, "Sorry, sweet Alex. Rules are rules. There is a reason that I come, it gives you a reason to have told him in the first place. And I always come. Take a bit of advice; tell those you love how much you love them."

Then he left her alone. Alex believed him, but she would never love anyone quite like Justin.

A.N. I love you guys. Firstly, thanks for the reviews. Secondly, I want to apologize for cheating. Here's what happened in the last story in order; Phil loves Keeley, Phil leaves Keeley, Max leaves for a trip, Alex tells Justin she loves him, Justin says he will tell their parents, Max is on the way home with the parents, Max and Alex use magic at the same time which leads to the deaths of Jerry and Theresa, Justin saves Alex instead of Jerry and Theresa, Max runs away, Alex breaks down, Justin graduates and gets a job, they move from the sandwhich shop, they fight then try sex, it doesn't work, Alex runs away, Justin follows her, they go into the pit, Phil arrives in the future, Max finds another doomed love, tries to change the past.

I wanted to allow you some room to think. Did Justin know Max was alive? Did he know Alex had been the spark to kill their mother and father? Did Max actually change anything by sending Phil back? It's your choice.

Next chapter; Lonely Death


	19. Lonely Death (Brother)

Lonely Death

Death is not the greatest adventure, it is our worst foe.

Justin buried his sister. He was alone. Where was the rest of his family? Physically they stood beside him. But it did not feel that way.

He was too late this time. For whatever reason, Alex had gotten in over her head, again, and needed him to bail her out. But he was too late.

They buried her in the ground. There was poetry to her life. It flowed from her like water. But looking at her body, wishing more than anything that he could have been there for her, die with her, Justin understood death a bit better. He also knew his destiny.

Justin spent the next 1,000,000 years of his life with a purpose. He went to the moon, Mars, and was the first to fly out of the galaxy on a ship. He discovered alien life. Several species as a matter of fact. He wrote books on magic, wrote books on science, and eventually started writing books on writing books.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize so often, the organization decided to change its name to the Russo peace prize.  
Justin was featured on dozens of magazines. Was the man of the year every year by at least three publications two centuries running. He beat back the darkness; solved mankind's most difficult problems, brought heat and food to impoverished countries. He discovered cold fusion, and harnessed the power of the sun for the good of humanity. And he solved the problems of his alien friends too.

He was just getting started.

Justin cured disease, every single illness. He went one by one until ever malady that had ever touched life was vanquished. He knew who his real enemy was, but he took his time getting to his most hated foe.

Justin fought off the evils of the wizard realm. He sealed away the angels of darkness forever. He cured vampires of their need to feed on human blood. He cured lycanthropy and found a way to make peace with the trolls.

All of his achievements, he named after his family: Max, Jerry, Theresa, Kelbo, Ernesto, even Megan got a few nods. There was one name he never used though, one name he never even spoke.

Finally, he took out his greatest foe. Justin met death itself on top of a volcano in a faraway star system.

"What's another planet discovered?" The old wizard sighed, and sat down. He was currently the oldest living being. He needed a moon for all the awards and accolades he had received.

Death came to him like an old friend, "Hello Justin."

Justin nodded respectfully, "I used to hate you. But now… I've forgiven you."

Death spoke, "You are here to stop me, yes?"

"Close," Justin sighed, standing to his feet. Death had always been his greatest foe, "You get to take just one more life."

Death acquiesced, "Quite a life you lived. What was your favorite part?"

Justin took a moment. He had practically lived an eternity. He had lived life to the fullest, gone on every adventure, made more friends than any man knew how to be thankful for, and took out as many enemies as he had ever made, "This, this right here is my favorite part. None of the rest of it really mattered to me."

Then he died.

There are those who believe that our entire life flashes before our eyes when we die, but all Justin saw was the smiling face he had kept all for himself.

He was alone.

A.N. If I get one review from a new-comer, I'll finish another multi-chapter fiction. Also, a shout-out to RoganJalex who has been reading my work for quite some time. Thanks for the positive feedback you guys!


	20. The Doctor is In

Once upon a Time in Mexico

(No magic in this story fan fic)

Justin saw his actual life flash before his eyes when he first saw her. As an American, Mexico was two places at the same time. One was a place of intense beauty. Tourist traps and cabanas lined the pristine streets that herded cash cows to conveniently located gift shops. It was a great place to vacation. And he was there to vacation with his best friend Zeke. What he did not count on was the fact that the life that would flash before his eyes was of little consequence once he got to know her.

"Dude," Zeke explained, "I love my wife, but if you're getting married to Juliet in a week, your bachelor party has got to be off the hook!"

Justin simply shook his head as Zeke slipped off the cash-cow cattle drive area and into the _real _Mexico.

The second Mexico was a stinking heap of crime, corruption, and crap all strewn together. Justin, whose Italian heritage was important enough to warrant a visit to Italy was immensely glad neither of his parents were Latino.

The ghetto was a human gutter. People; kids, teens, the elderly, everyone seemed to be sagging under a toxic air. Zeke navigated a bit too happily for Justin's comfort. They stayed on big streets. Eventually the hyperactive best man found what he was looking for.

"You stay here, amigo, I'm going to talk to a lady about a special surprise for you!" A Latina with curly dark hair who looked old enough to be Justin's mother waved cheerfully, "Senor John, it is good to see you again!"

"Hey, Terry, it is great to see you. I need to talk to you about another 'sunrise surprise,' this time it's for my friend here."

The women brought him in. Justin tried to look inconspicuous by leaning against the wall. A kid named Max was playing with his friends when 'Terry' informed him in angry-sounding Spanish that his was supposed to be, "Something, other thing, la Hermana," which was then promptly ignored by the boy.

Justin shook his head angrily. There was something _wrong _with this place. He had a sister, Maxine, back in America that was Max's age. He could not imagine what business she had that was more important than watching her son. Still, it was obviously a poor area and American dollars where pretty powerful around this part of the world. Justin reminded himself he could not change a place like this.

He sighed into his hands. It was not his job as an American to fix this place. But as a doctor, he felt the desire to help. Half the problems here could be solved with some medication. A sound drew his attention to the alley-way besides the building his friend had entered. Zeke was pretty comfortable here, so it was probably safe, but the New York breeding in Justin warned him about going down dark alleys.

Justin peered carefully, making sure not to draw any attention to himself. He made out the form of a young girl in a dumpster. She was pretty, though marred from head to toe in trash. Justin noticed her eyes, especially; they were like chocolate beacons begging for attention. His life before seeing her flashed through his mind, and he came to the humbling realization that he led a pathetic lonely existence. Who could compare to the fire in this girl? Suddenly, she let out a triumphant yell. Holding up a bag she found for her dinner, the girl jumped out as a manager from the building next door started yelling at her from an open window. Terry stuck her head out of a window as; 'Alex' ducked inside and started yelling herself.

Justin's Spanish was rusty, but he figured out pretty quick that the girl was Terry's daughter, and that the manager's wife was apparently cow-like. Thinking of the girl made Justin sick. She was not just beautiful; she was stunning, even covered in trash. The sickness in his stomach subsided as he reminded himself it was neither his right nor his duty to judge these people. This was the life of many people in New York as well. Once Zeke finished whatever arrangement he had to set up, Justin swore he would spend at least a year in Doctors Without Borders.

"Alright Justin, we're good to go!" Zeke was in a good mood. Justin just sighed to himself. That girl looked so hungry… and alone.

"Now, I know you're nervous, but don't worry, tonight is going to be the absolute most awesome experience ever!"

Two hourse later…

"Alcohol is a wonderful thing," Mused.. somebody. Justin let out some woots here and there, but honestly, this had gone terribly, terribly wrong. It was like the hang-over, but not funny. Half the guys attending the party were in prison for… something about a cow? That was just fine with Justin. He had no real connection to them. Zeke was pretty much his only friend here. Felix downed another bottle and passed out.

Seeing the time, Zeke insisted they move on, "Dude… we have to be back at the hotel by sunset…. Trust me…"

So even though neither of them had much to drink, they staggered back to the hotel. Justin was happy though. He and his friend had spent one of their wildest nights with a bunch of guys and actually fit in well enough not to be mocked. Alcohol was truly magical.

Zeke went to his room for about an hour and showered. Justin spent the time resting. His thoughts turned to that girl again… something about her- her pain seemed so real.

Justin decided to shower away his shame. He hated not helping. He was no fool. There were gangs here, and if he looked like a softy, they would rob him blind. But he wanted to help so much. When she got out of the dumpster, he had noticed her hand had been sliced. The medical side of him wanted to track her down just so she would be okay. Instead, he put her out of his head. He had a fiancée to get back to. She was more important.

The shower stopped and Justin wrapped himself in his robe. He absently heard his door open. That was likely room service. Or Zeke, or both at the same time. Justin looked at himself in the mirror trying not to hate himself for leaving that girl to starve.

"Justin, get out here," Zeke called impatiently, "I got you Margarita!"

Justin rolled his eyes. Neither he nor his friend were heavy drinkers. Still, when in Mexico… get drunk. That whole, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" only applies when you are in Rome and Italian.

Justin exited the bathroom in a robe. To his surprise, **Margarita** turned out to be the most stunning Mexican girl he had ever seen in his life.

Their gazes locked. He felt that electricity flowing through him again. Zeke patted Justin on his way out.

"Uh… I don't know what my friend told you, but I'm…" Justin tried to explain to the girl what he was. Her head cocked to the side quizzically. There was just something engaging about her… like she really wanted to know what he was saying, "But… you don't speak any English, do you?" He sighed into his hands.

Stepping forward, he noticed the girl flinch slightly. Justin took a breath, and held his hands up, "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" Realizing she likely did not understand what he was saying; Justin tried to scrounge up enough Spanish to help him out. He remembered the words 'you' 'far' and 'walk'. He did his best to tell her to leave. She took this as an invitation to go to his bed. Justin growled frustrated. When he took her elbow and tried to lead her to the door, she grabbed the headboard and shook her head. Justin, trying to keep calm, explained to her in a concise manner that he was just not the type of man that had sex with prostitutes.

Her head cocked to the side again, like a lost puppy. Her curls hugged her red lace cloak. Justin took her by the shoulders, a move that caused her to blink. Speaking slowly, he repeated himself. He was almost done when he found her lips on his.

All thought vacated his brain. She was amazing. He had not taken the time to study this girl in his nervousness. She was beautiful of course, and certainly sexy. Her medium length brown curls bounced on her shoulders. Her skin reminded him of the Mexican beach in moonlight, with freckles like odd stones carefully placed to add aesthetic. The taste of her was amazing. It was like the soil around a volcano. He and Zeke used to watch a show about volcanoes, and how they were feed nutrients into the plants were farmers grew spices. Her eyes… the second he saw them, he knew.

"That was you in the alleyway," He paused, "Alex?"

Her eyes lit up and she babbled out something apologetic in Spanish.

Justin held his hand up, "It's okay. Here, have some room service."  
She looked at him nervously, and then ate like a starved dog. It was a tragedy that such a beautiful girl had to scratch out such a living. Then again, Americans often think they know how to fix problems that are not theirs.

Absently, the girl dropped her cloak exposing herself. Although her previous movements had betrayed her silhouette before, Justin now had an accurate appreciation for her body. She was in high heels that were insulting long. Her stockings led up to a garter belt, which was secured about tight shorts. Her corset gave her the most coverage, giving just enough to be sexy without actually exposing any of her secrets. The whole of her get-up was black with red highlights. Bows popped up here and there. If it was not for the fact that a girl was starving to death, Justin would be in a kinky mood.

Alex finished feeding. She was licking icing off a cupcake when she asked a shy question. It sounded like, "Oh, did you want some?" Justin motioned that she could have as much as she wanted.

Alex ignored him. She managed to regain some of her professionalism. Gone was the starving girl in the alley. She unsnapped the top of her corset while treading a path towards the lights. She unsnapped herself with each lit, giving him just a bit more of a tease. When the whole place was dark except his bathroom light, she finished it off.

Her glowing silhouette made Justin's mouth water. She came to him like a vision. He wanted so badly to take her for his own.

Then his hand found hers. The doctor in him completely halted the process. Even without him saying anything, Alex knew she had lost him. He sat up, set her down, and walked into the next room. Alex positioned herself comfortably.

She kept her mind guarded at times like these. She was not 'Alex' a girl whose pimp father had raped her mother to keep her as a prostitute. She was 'Margarita,' a sexy, sly deviant who was willing to take some discomfort for enough money to feed herself.

Justin returned from the other room with a bag. Alex prayed it was something nice like oils. One of her customers liked to treat his girls rough… she had made good money, but the following week had been difficult as she recovered from his abuse.

A knife flashed in the light. Alex swallowed nervously. Her mother was from a small, poor village. Everyone there knew her mother to be a whore, but to go there with scars from this night? Alex had not told her grandmother what she was yet. She was hoping to keep it a secret for a bit longer.

Justin pulled out a bottle. Alex let out a sigh of relief and lay down on the bed. Oil was nice; it helped move things along for her. Instead, she found the liquid spread in her hand. It was soothing, and the swelling there decreased. She realized she was seducing a doctor.

A very kind doctor too, it turned out. Justin stripped her, which she expected, but then examined her. That was not very unusual, but then… then he started to heal her. Pains she did not know she had were repaired. The medicine flowed from him freely. It was… amazing.

He asked her to talk. Realizing she could actually be herself for awhile, Alex told him everything.

She had grown up in the city. Her mother had moved from her home as a small girl, and wound up working as an underage prostitute. In order to keep Theresa working, her pimp impregnated her and kept the baby nearby. Then Theresa's brother found out what was going on. Although Ernesto was willing to write off his sister, his baby niece was a different story. He rescued them and set them up with a house. He turned a blind eye to his sister's habits for making money. Room and board were expensive, plus dealing with the police and the gangs… it was difficult to keep up and raise a child. Max came along as a surprise.

Alex had dealt with her fifteenth birthday with courage; it was time for her to go to work. She grew up very quickly. Her mother did not want her to go into the same business, but had to admit Alex was good at it.

Justin listened attentively to the girl babble on and on in Spanish. Sometimes she laughed, mostly she cried. Occasionally, she spoke to him, just him. That was worth the trouble. He could tell she was talking about him- to him.

Eventually her narrative died down. Alex realized she had told him everything. She had never done that before. There was something in his eyes worthy of her trust. This one, as much as she hated to admit it, might just be different.

She took a shower and then snuggled in next to Justin wearing only the hotels robe. At midnight, they both fell asleep.

Alex was the first to awaken. It was Sunday, time for the dawn mass. She got up and put her clothes on. Feeling bad, Alex took both his wallet and his phone. Friendly or not, a hooker is a hooker.

She arrived at the church in time for confession. It was a bit ironic, but father Joseph knew her well. She stepped in, did a little ritual and went right to work.

"I did some work last night. I didn't… you know, but I still took his wallet. Why do I feel bad now? I never thought I would. Usually, I just get the cash and dash, but this time… I knew what I was doing was wrong."  
The priest forgave her, told her to pray, and try not to sin anymore. She loudly snorted. They both knew she would be back soon. As she was leaving, she bumped into a familiar face. Smiling sheepishly, Alex handed Justin his wallet and cellphone, sans about two hundred dollars, and dashed from the church.

Theresa walked her daughter to Ernesto's house. She worried that Zeke might not appreciate her daughter's initiative. Although he could not actually do anything, he could raise a fuss, which would cost money to put down. And money was too precious to waste. To their surprise, Father Joseph was there with good news; apparently a new wealthy donor was going to re-open a closed women's shelter.

Alex thought the building was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. And for years afterwards, a handsome doctor would visit to make sure the girls were in good health.

When Alex thinks of her life now, the first fifteen years fly by her. The only part of her life that means anything anymore is that moment when a handsome doctor healed the wounds she did not know she had.

Her life changed just as much as his.

She wished she could see him more often, but the fact was that she was a whore, and he was a married man, and they both already had lives to lead.


	21. Mr Doctor Justin Sequel Two of Three

A.N. I thought the last one was done, but the I realized how much was left unsaid, so... back to the story.

Alex looked ahead determinedly. The one good thing that would come from all of this was that Mr. Justin would stop wasting his money. He supplied the women's shelter with enough cash to keep the place open. There a meal at least once a day. And though she was ashamed of her and her mother's work, Alex managed to stay away from dangerous situations by being a choosy prostitute.

Then she caught his eye; The Chief.

And that was the day that the women's shelter, run-down flea bitten home, with one (occassionally working) toilet, lumpy mattresses, lumpier pillows, and stained walls, was burned to the ground.

It was beautiful now. Alex ignored the tides of women who weapt beside her. There were a half dozen elderly women who depended on the dilapidated walls for comfort from the wind, and the hole-ridden roof to protect from the rain. As gross as it had been, Alex had a home. She and her mother were building a life. Ernesto actually volunteered to drive them back to their village on Sunday to visit the family. It had been a wonderful time. And with shelter, and food, came education. Theresa was getting old, and found some of her old clients were actually willing to pay her to do _legitimate _work like sewing and cooking.

Alex thought she could quit the life. Max was starting to get involved in gangs. She hoped to pull him out. One day, she was walking to get him when she drew attention to herself. It was no mystery what her job was, so when The Chief offered her some cash, Alex declined for Max's sake. He had to know he was more important than some money. The pushier the mobster got, the more resistant Alex was.

Now there was this. There was no doubt in her mind how the shelter had caught fire. All that money had been wasted on her. She should have just let Mr. Justin use her and throw her aside. Instead, he had given her hope, he had given her a life.

She hated him for that.

Theresa was wailing into Max's shoulder. He had already learned the lesson; power is more important than family. Alex looked back at her family members, then stepped away into the shadows.

It did not take long for them to grab her. Filthy hands forced her unresisting body into a car. Alex allowed it. She knew this would happen sometime. After a ten minute ride, they opened the door. The Latina got out as if she were a movie star arriving on set, even nodding politely to the gangster who helped her out of the vehicle.

Alex had been taken to a mansion. It was spectacular. She ignored the indicators of money that had mattered so much to her a year ago. The mobsters marched her in like a prisoner, but she kept her head high.

The Chief was there, surrounded by women. He smiled as she approached. Alex looked around bored. He was talking, and that bored her. She was a desert flower, an oasis for a thirsty man... compliments hastily spit out before a man screwed her. Eventually she held her hand up for silence. His eyebrow cocked.

"What do you want?"  
Her tone was cold. Everyone wanted her for some reason. Except for Mr. Justin, every man who ever laid eyes on her wanted her for their own ends. She did not expect anything more from this man.

"I want you. And I have to have you."

"It is not easy to get me," She growled this, aware that he had just destroyed her home.

"Oh... I know. But, Margarita... I can give you so much more! Money!" He threw bills in their air, signalling for the harem girls to scramble, "Food!" He plucked a ripe grape and held it in front of her. They looked each other in the eye. It took all her will not to spit on him.

She opened her mouth for the grape, but as his fingers passed her lips, she bit down. He howled in surprise, and clutched himself. It was not so bad that he would be angry, but it was enough to communicate her opinion, "What about my family?"

"They will be compensated."  
"And Max... he is to be put to _real _work. Max must act like a man, not one of your goons!"

The Chief put his hand over his heart, "Senorita, you wound me. But yes, I will make sure he gets a real job. You should say goodbye though... I like to take my ladies on the road with me."

She would never see her family again. Ernesto, Mom, Max... they were gone to her, as gone as the shelter that once protected them.

She wondered for a moment about Mr. Justin. Would he be sad the shelter was gone? Would he visit, looking for her? When he found out what she did with herself, would he be ashamed of her? Or would he already know this was where she headed.

Alex looked ahead with determination she had to or else she would see her life flash away into nothingness.


	22. Mr Doctor Justin Dirty Debts

A.N. Okay, here's the third installment. Technically, I do cheat at the end because I break the 'no touchie' rule, but I think since Alex is a hooker in this story, it doesn't count.

Alex washed herself clean. Working for... _him _was disgusting. She used to view selling her body no differently than selling a ripe piece of fruit. No longer. She felt dirty now. Living abroad had spoiled her.

The Chief was a difficult man to please, which suited her perfectly. Alex was nothing if not obstinate. He had displayed her sexual prowess everywhere he went; Colombia, Afghanistan, and America. She impressed everyone by coupling her inexperience with a driven desire to prove how amazing she was. And she was respected for it.

Her work had brought her to America's greatest cities. She had performed in a Seattle Starbucks, in a Chicago pizzaria, and at the top of the Empire State building. It had disgusted her lately.

It was not The Chief that she thought about. It was him; Mr. Justin.

She was in _his _city, and that was to be respected. Somewhere out there, amoungst milions of New Yorkers was a man who had saved her life. Alex knew she had no chance of finding him. But she had to try.

Justin whistled happily as he walked home from work. He had just been interviewed on his latest award. Today mail from the charity in Mexico would arrive. For some reason it had been backed up for the last two weeks.

And, of course, he could see his beautiful wife. He knew how lucky he was to have Juliet. She was smart, kind, beautiful... everything he needed in a woman.

Still... he could have sworn he saw- _her_. Alex, Margarita, whoever, whatever she was this afternoon at the Empire State Building. He knew it had to be his imagination. She was down in Mexico with her family. They lived separate lives.

In some ways, it hurt him. He loved her. And he loved Juliet. How both these facts were true boggled his mind. Juliet, the love of his life was the direct opposite of the prostitute he had not even touched. Justin opened the door. Then he smelled it... that perfume... he smelled _her_.

For a brief moment, he thought Zeke must have done something unbelievably stupid. Juliet was at their table, sitting coldly, "Justin, come in."

She did not rise to hug him, nor was dinner on the table, which was surprising considering that her family ran a sandwhich shop. He swallowed nervously as she glared at him. Her pursed lips spoke of his doom.

"Justin... do you know many Mexican hookers?"

His mouth babbled out an answer. He squawked and leapt, then started to cry a little. "Ba! Dooo! Urgh... Alex! But I OoooUUUUoooOOOOUUU!"

Slowly her facade started to break. Justin frowned as she burst out laughing. He was very surprised to find her lips on his.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Some girl stopped by claiming to be the mother of your child."

"But I haven't been to Mexico in years!" He protested.

Juliet nodded, then wrily added, "That, plus you won't even kiss _me _unless I brush my teeth first!"

That got his ire up, "Hey! There's nothing wrong with good hygiene! Did you know that ninety percent of so-called doctors leave it to those hack dentists to-"

Her lips found his again, "Justin, baby, I love you... now, what happened?"

He tried to explain himself, but was too embarassed. Eventually, Juliet grabbed his hand, "It's okay... I knew all along you were _really_ involved in your work down south."

The doorbell rang, and Juliet rose to get it. Justin sat in his chair, face in hands. His life was over. Nothing could make this day worse.

He was wrong. Juliet walked in stiffy, as if she had joint problems. She was shoved into Justin, who caught her abruptly. She was breathing rapidly. Justin soothed her as best he could. There was a group of large armed Latino men behind her.

_I'm the man. I have to protect my wife._

He stepped forward and addressed the men, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to retrieve some missing property."

Justin snorted, "I'm no thief."

They exchanged looks, "Her name is Margarita, do you know where she is?"

Justin looked at Juliet. How far could Alex be? He had smelled her. Juliet was terrified. But more than that, she spoke to him, "Justin, I love you."  
She received a smack from the leader of the gang.

"Stop it! Just... stop. Leave her alone." Justin ran his fingers through his hair. He had to choose now; his life with Juliet or a girl he would never see again. All it took was to see the knife against Juliet's throat to decide, "If you let her go... I'll help you. We have money. Alex trusts me."

The men exchanged lustful sneers. They expected a sexy reward for catching a hooker. And if that failed Juliet may be a nice back-up plan.

Justin stood determined to help. But it was Juliet who chose to help Alex, "Justin, you're a good man," A single tear dripped down her right cheek. She thought of Alex, what she was trying to accomplish, what Justin would stand for if she was not in the way. The man had pushed her down on the table, and now stood between her legs. She had to free Alex, and remind Justin of his goodness, the goodness she loved and Alex respected. The knife pressed against her throat. Juliet's life flashed before her eyes as she saved Justin.

The table lurched and blood spewed everywhere.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
Justin leapt to her side. The gang-bangers exchanged looks. The world was not fair. Justin could not stop them from entering his home, but in America, **_nobody_ **kills a white, blond-haired, blue eyed girl, and gets away with it. Of course, in this case the white girl had been the one to move the knife in a slashing motion across her throat, but an American jury would likely give out maximum sentences for any involved. Rascist, but ironically fair to the system. They had played and lost, outsmarted and overpowered by a girl who made sandwhichs.

Justin howled like an animal. He did not even notice when the criminals left.

The doctor in him, as factual as ever, explained that Juliet, now gasping in his arms, was already dead. She had died to protect a girl she barely knew all because _he _had reached out to help somebody.

Justin's eyes filled with tears. She reached up to touch his face, then that very arm fell dead at her side. He dropped her. Two warm arms encircled him. Alex had seen the whole thing. And she knew Juliet had sacrificed herself to save a woman she barely knew.

"Sorry."

It didn't cut it. Justin was numb. Alex disappeared, only to return with a bottle of liquor. "Drink." Her English had improved since she last saw him. Her work required some communication, but the kind she knew was not much help here. Well, not unless necrophilia was helpful to either of them. He obeyed her command. Alex saw his bloodied hands. As a doctor he had operated enough to know the smell of blood. Alex hated it. She pulled him into a shower, and stripped away his coverings.

She thought back to that first night, when she saw him come out wearing only a hotel robe. At that time, she had a mistaken impression about life. Alex believed life was unfair. Some gringo could come in, have his fun, then drive back to his loving wife. But Justin had paid for so much... and received nothing but grief for it. Justin, broken, alone, defeated, knew his life was over. Alex could not walk down the aisle with her father, lose her virginity on her wedding night, or bring him sandwhiches for lunch in the sun. He reached into his safe and handed the Latina a stack of bills. Justin recognized she would not be welcome in his house, so he could give her enough money to make it on her own. She took it, then laid it to the side.

It was she, not he, who was in debt. And she only knew one way to repay it. Alex lay Justin on the bed. Doing a little cross action, she prayed for forgiveness for her actions. Her experience paid off.

A single kiss on the lips brought him back to life. One on his brow cleared his mind of the confusion. His throat swallowed his anger, sending it lower. Alex loved his body with fervor, waiting for him to approve. She was called 'Margarita' because she got men drunk off her. He called Juliet. A pang of sadness hit Alex's heart.

She continued. It was her hardest job. She truly **_loved_ **this man, in her own unique way. That's what made it so hard. She had to do more than get him to climax. She had to heal his soul the way he had healed her body.

Alex pushed him through the grieving process; she grabbed him roughly, alerting him to the reality of the situation, which pushed him past shock and denial, her mouth soothed the pain and guilt over being unable to stop it- for being the reason Alex was there in the first place. His anger shocked her, he hurt her physically, bruises forming on her wrists and face, but she took it. Far worse had happened to her. His barganing stuck in her heart like a pin, "I wish you were dead instead." Her pulse raced under his hands as she suffocated. The doctor pulled back, he was a healer, not a killer. Horrified, he drew back into himself. Alex bared herself completely to him, and pressed against his flesh, _you can't hide from this, or from me. _Slowly, slowly she brought him back. Her warmth against him gave him the strength to move on. He got up. He was ready for her. They coupled and he lost himself in the warmth that she had always provided him. Alex could tell by Justin's expression he was starting to understand, he was coming to terms with what she had done for both of them. He called his wife's name one more time and lay back down.

Alex kissed his hands. She had finished her work, and for the first time ever, did not feel dirty about it. She would have to leave. The police and the gang would both be looking for her here. Justin would never see her again.

In a sense, she had to fight through her own grief now, though washed clean, she had to leave the one man in her life that was always willing to help. But she had paid her debt. And besides, she had done this for Juliet. Their conversation had been abreviated, but there was one thing that stuck to the whore.

"Justin loves you. I know this, and I also know that without love, Justin just wouldn't be Justin. That's why I'm not angry. If he had ignored your pain, that would have concerned me."

Alex felt a stab of jealously over the blond. The slice that stole Juliet's life had saved her.

Maybe she was not so clean after all.


	23. Every Touch

Nobody touched her. Alex Russo, pop star extraordinaire waved at the crowd with winning smile. The love of her life, Mason Greyback (star of tv's Teen Wolf) had one arm around her. But he wasn't really touching her. They turned to the open limosine door, and climbed in the vehicle.

"Alex, baby!" Cried Mason's snake oil salesman of the week. The snakey man grabbed her hand a bit too forcefully. He kissed her hand, increasing her desire to lop it off exponentially, "Have I got great news for you!"

Mason and Alex both arranged themselves to be comfortable. Alex was bracing herself, fully aware that she had a certain image to protect.

"Well?" She asked.  
Mason's P.R. staff member sighed, "You gotta lose the ring."

A small heat formed on Alex's cheeks.

"Seriously, kid, you're like, nineteen. Nobody's buying it anymore."

Mason stroked the hand that held it. Alex felt more like lopping off body part than ever.

"No."

Mason and every member of his staff sighed, "Alex, sweetie, you must understand. You don't have a good-girl image!"

Alex pursed her lips. Just because she was a bit naughty sometimes didn't mean she wasn't a good girl. The public didn't think she was a virgin anymore, but who cared what they thought? She was famous, and she could keep her purity ring on if she wanted to.

"As one of the top selling artists in the _world _I think I can keep a bit of gold around," She hissed sharply. The staffers exchanged knowing looks. Alex hated those condescending 'I know that...' looks. They always preceded depressing talks where they always convinced her to do something she really did not want to do.  
"Alex, honey, you should listen to (beep), he knows what he's talking about," Mason insisted gently. Alex's mind naturally censored their names. It was too bothersome to learn them anyways.

"So when do I lose it?" She sighed dejectedly.

The staffers let out a sound of relief. Alex was known for her temper. The P.R. representative looked around nervously, "Uh... well, as soon as possible would be good. Immediately would be best." He held out his hand, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up in alarm at the look on her face.

Her eyes flashed open, "What? Why?"

"Well it's just... you two have a reputation for breaking up... so, people are expecting another one..."

Alex finished for him, "So if I lose the ring, people will think he took my virginity, and that we'll stay together forever and ever?"

She looked around the vehicle seeing nervous faces. It was time to put her foot down, "Alright, everyone out." The car screeched to a halt, and the driver came to the side door and started (somewhat forcefully) removing staffers.

Mason tried to appeal to her, but soon a firm hand clenched on his neck, "So... I'll call you?"

Alex groaned. Let people think they broke up.

The driver's side door slammed shut. The crowd stuck outside banged on her window, trying to get in with her, trying to make contact, trying to_ touch_ her. Alex did not want anyone else to touch her.

On the way home, Alex seriously considered what they were saying. Did people really think she was untouchable? That she could not be vulnerable; that what they said about her could not hurt her? It hurt so much on the inside, she could not even cry. They pulled into the apartment complex's parking. Her escort opened her door, and she grabbed his arm for support as she stepped out.

"Grab my bags," She honestly thought her shopping trip would go better with Mason there. Alex hoped that she could have contact with him without it turning into a fiasco. It sounded stupid to her now. Her heels clicked loudly, echoing off the walls of the garage. The popstar walked alone, very, very alone. A slam behind her signalled that her servant had all her possessions. She signalled for the elevator. Footsteps announced he had almost caught up with her. The elevator dinged open. Alex watched her staffer move as fast as he could to try and catch her before...

A button labeled '13' apeared. She smirked and pressed it. The door slammed shut in his face. Well, he was used to this kind of treatment by now, right? She smirked at the thought of him huffing and puffing up thirteen flights. Alex was alone in the elevator. She had hoped that Mason would be with her today. That he would hold her hand in public, grab her arm and pull her away to someplace private... and then they could have some real contact with one another. She liked to touch, in a way... just not everything. He wanted everyone to see that she was not beyond intimacy, but not in a way that was intimate.

She fingered the ring. Ever since that _very _public feud with Hannah Montana, Alex was labeled a bad girl. She was, of course, but she also had a sensitive side to her. The pop star hugged herself. It was not like anyone else was around to do it for her.

The thought of her empty apartment closed off from the rest of the world was almost reassuring.

When she finally reached her floor, Alex was shocked to find the door to her apartment open. Her driver/butler/escort/masseuse/cook/personal trainer had caught her. Even after ten years of service, he still knew how to surprise her.

(It's like he's a _wizard_!) She smiled, and walked in.

"The news is replaying your interview ma'am," He was putting away her clothes. Unlike her typical method 'throw it behind your back, hope you find it later,' her staffer was very strict. He even had a special set-up to ensure he did it right.

"Thanks."

She plopped down on her couch. Her lastest music video was doing really well, she was dating one of the hottest guys on the planet, she had more money than she knew what to do with. Her sex-symbol boyfriend picked her up after her risque' photo shoot with Victoria's Secret. Her life was perfect.

...

Alex burst into tears. Wracking sobs forced their way out. She did not even know _why_ she was crying, she just was. She hugged herself. (You're alone, stupid, ugly girl, always alone. Untouchable.)

Two arms silently encircled her. She hated being touched, but still clutched to him, "JUSTIN!" She sobbed loudly, "I hate...! I just hate everything!"

He held her firmly. Her sobs decreased. It took a few moments for her to regain her composure. The world was banging about in New York outside of the walls of her luxury apartment. They called for her, to rend her from herself like a piece of meat. She pulled away and went to her bathroom. Justin returned to his work. Kicking those guys out of the car... felt amazing. Justin had been around ever since Alex was a young child-actor. He knew her well enough to know when to leave her alone.

He had just finished putting away a shirt he knew she would never wear when the bathroom door opened. He was finished with his work, so he could expect something hard from her. Typically, once he finished the obligatory work, Alex made outlandish demands for fun. Daunting tasks he could never accomplish.

Alex did not disappoint.

"Justin, I need your help," She whispered. The use of his name was a bad sign. She preferred to call him 'nerd' or 'dork'. He took a breath, praying she would be asking for something that was difficult for him to accomplish, not something that would cause her pain, "Justin, please?"

He turned and stood stock still. Alex Russo, voted sexiest woman of the year, was wearing the outfit from her shoot at Victoria's Secret. Black lace teased his sensibilities. But as gorgeous as she was... Her eyes held the deepst sorrow. The male in him that yearned for contact with her young flesh fought the man in him that required sacrifice. His job was to give her whatever she needed. His desires were never part of the picture. Justin had no real social life. Alex was his life. He attended every event, drove her everywhere, took care of her, always.

"How can I help?" She regarded him like a small child. Back when she was a young actress, she regarded the world with wild enthusiasm. Now... she was just curious. It scared him. This habit seemed to be complacent with the thought of causing pain. She caused him pain. Justin could take her torturing him... but lately she had turned it against herself. (I'm stupid, ugly, they hate me... for loving Mason. Why? What have I done that's so wrong? What have I done that they have not, but be loved...?)

"Please," She whispered through dark red lips, "Justin... hold me."

She wanted to be touched. His head nodded absently. He put his arms around her. Countless millions would want to be in his shoes right now, but the truth is that this is not what Justin wanted. He wanted Alex to be happy, safe... he wanted her to have everything she ever wanted.

She hated being put on display off-stage. Hated being laughed at by others. He held her close, absently noticing the changes her body had experienced since he had first met her.

"Justin... touch me," The fantasy of every male in the world tickled his ears.

He hated it. Justin knew they could never date, could never be in love. Their lives would be exposed across the media. And everybody wanted a piece of her. But he wanted her to keep a piece to herself. Alex took of her ring and looked him deep in the eyes, "Please? Justin?"

"Alex..." Nobody touched Alex.

Nobody like Justin.

A.N. A little creepy, yes, but... I never stated that she was or was not a virgin. I am trying to set a rule here that these stories are not about physical contact. It's the heart-rending that gets you.

R&R, etc.


	24. Estranged 1

A.N. Okay, so... this is kind of canon, kind of not. Alex and Justin are wizards after the competition, so it's post series. Also, let me just tell you, **EVERY STORY IN HERE IS SAD! **I will be posting a fluffy Jalex for anybody who wants happy endings. These are sad angst. I am not trying to be a jerk here, but these stories will end tragically. If you want fluff, read fluff. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Nothing tied them together.

They parted ways after the Competition. Alex took off with Mason, Justin took off with Juliet. Max settled down and ran the restaurant. He told Talia the truth about magic. He hoped that she would understand, and that, like his mother, she would allow magic into her life to keep him. Instead she left him. It reminded him of Alex and Justin. He knew they were doomed, but could tell no one. Who can you talk to when your brother and sister are in love with one another... and don't even know it?

Months passed. Alex got bored, so she caused trouble. Mason left her, leaving Justin to deal with his sister. That was a mistake. For months the two of them ripped into one another.

Whenever they got together, family time, holidays, his duties on the council, the two would fight. It was brutal.

"I hate you!"

"I hate you more!"

Their anger only intensified as they grew older. Justin became less flexible, and became a rigid principal. He forced his students to do more work, and cut back on the art programs. Alex rebelled againt the wizarding laws, flaunting her prowess at evading capture in front of the council. She hated them all; and she did as much as damage as possible just to show how insignificant the laws were.

Alex had no relationships anymore. Her parents were angry with her rule-breaking, Max was angry that she was still a wizard, and Mason was gone. The only one who would still talk to her was Justin, and only when she broke the law. So... she broke the law. Whatever time Alex spent in prison felt good to her. Someone was paying attention to her, **JUSTIN **was finally paying attention to her. Sometimes the full-wizard wondered how they drifted apart... it did not matter though. Justin ensured her spite because he gave her the maximum sentence _every _time he could. She would get out only to go break a law and get sent right back in.

Justin was caught in the same loop. He was obsessed with making sure Alex was punished for her misdeeds. He spent all his time making sure she paid for her crimes. The only time anyone understood how important it was that he keep an eye on her was when she appeared before him. He made sure she got the maximum sentence, just so he could keep his eyes on her.

Justin's relationship with Juliet crumbled. He was always angry, even when Alex wasn't around. Finally, he drove her off with fervor, "I never want to see you again! You're a monster!"

She flew away sobbing. When he returned to his chair at Wiz-tech, he knew who the real monster was.

"Alex..."

She pranked him. While school was in session, Alex would drop by and get the students to rebel. Irrisponsible magic flew left and right as Justin fought for control. He tried banning her from the grounds, but she already had her hooks in. Nelvis was especially enamored. He would brag about all the time he spent with her to his jealous classmates, "Oh yeah, Alex and I are like this," He crossed his fingers, "and believe me, she's got her own magic going on, know what I mean?!"

Justin's fury grew. He gave Nelvis detention for acting out.

"You can't stop me anymore, Justin!" He cried, "I know better than you now!"

Justin clenched his hands, unable to stop them from shaking with rage. It was time to end this. Breaking the law was one thing; she paid her debt to society and moved on. But targeting students was different.

This was **war**.

This _was _war.

Alex knew how bad the students had it under Justin. They came to her _desperate_ at times. She was the only one who knew how to stand up to him, the only one smart enough to beat him. And Alex was filled with empathy, knowing how high a standard he set. So she helped them by targeting his weaknesses; art and expression. She invented spells to get around his rigid tests, and helped the struggling students get by. The way he pushed them- it was inexcusable. Alex understood Justin's desire for perfection, but this only intensified her hatred of him.

Nelvis appeared on her doorstep, "Hey, I need your help."

Alex grimaced. She liked Nelvis. He was fifteen now, just starting to develope into a decent wizard. But lately his attitude rubbed her the wrong way. She suppressed her annoyance and led him to a table.

"I need to find a way to shut down Wiz-tech for good."

Alex's eyes bulged out. She liked to cause trouble but this was a bit too far, "Are you insane?"

His eyes flashed mischievously, "Are you kidding me?! This is what we're all about! Bringing down the system! We can do it, we can crash these guys!"  
"We're not crashing a system!" Alex declared, drawing on her experience, "It's not just a school, people are there. And we could seriously harm them!"

He plopped down on the bench opposite her, "Since when are you part of the yawn brigade?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably, then, drawing her skirt underneath her, sat lady-like in the chair. She was helping kids, not trying to hurt them, "Nelvis," Her hand drifted to his arm trying to calm him, "We could hurt somebody..."

His face sneered. She drew back a bit in shock, "Isn't that what you want Alex?" His hand found its way to her skirt, "Or do you want more?"

She bolted upright, "Nelvis!"

He popped up, full of teenaged rage, "Oh c'mon, you flirt with me all the time!"

Alex's eyes shut themselve angrily, drawing her eyebrows down in shame, "I'm your friend!"  
"C'mon... you know what people say about you!" He drew closer, "You know if I tell them we did it they'll believe me!"

She drew back, and coldly announced, "It's time for you to go."

...Silence fell.

His sneer deepened, "You can't make me go. And while we're at it, I'm not going to be spending time in detention when I could have you!"

Alex's head shook at how wrong that statement was. But then the trouble-maker in her mind rang mental alarm bells, "Detention?"  
"Uh, yeah, stupid," He exclaimed, "What's that-"  
She held her hand up, "Do you honestly think that Justin doesn't know where you are right now?"

Nelvis grew pale. He recoiled. Alex taught him how to stand up to Justin, but off school grounds... well the older wizard had considerably larger lee-way in his decisions. If he showed up now he could do practically anything he wanted with no oversight committee.

"Nelvis, you have to go now," She insisted.

"Not 'til I get what I came for!" He growled. Alex tried pushing him, and he wrestled with her. Nelvis managed to push her against the wall, and force his face towards hers. His wand lit up, and he pointed it at her.

She was terrified. Her eyes grew wide. Without thinking, Alex defended herself. A flash of light, and all was too, too silent.

Nelvis lay crumpled in the corner. Alex's hand flew over her mouth as tears brimmed her eyes. What had she done? Nelvis had been her friend for years. He had been that sweet kid who gave her a daisy on her birthday. He had stayed at her place when Justin had declared a harsh, 'B+ homework=no bed for a week" instead of sleeping on the ground. They had laughed, and played jokes. They were great friends. When had their friendship devolved into using him as a weapon? When had their relationship forced him to think of himself as a grown-up? When had she stopped putting her friend's interests above her own...?  
And when had she stopped caring?

Alex was crying. Silent tears painted her cheeks. With hesitation, she made her way to the body. A shivering hand placed itself at his throat.

Her breath gasped in pure relief when that hand found a pulse. Alex rolled Nelvis onto his back and went to work. But she knew she needed help.

She called the only one she knew would help her. She called again, and again, and again, and again... nothing.

So she kept calling. Finally, she heard his wand ring. He was outside her door. Looking at the clock, Alex realized it had only been a few minutes. But those minutes stretched forever.

Justin had a look of utter contempt on his face when his sister opened the door. Her face was filled with tears. Neither of them spoke when she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. It was just like when they lived together under their parents' roof. She would pull him aside or he would pull her aside, and they both knew the unspoken rules to their relationship.

The second he saw Nelvis, he knew. Maybe not everything, but Justin knew enough. He had heard the rumors, idle gossip about what Alex was willing to do. It was surprisingly similar to what Gigi had accused her of regularly back when they were in school. Alex tended to dress in provocative ways. Naturally, there was no way for him to know which rumors were true and what was fabrication. At this point, it did not matter. They knelt, one on the right side of the body, one on the left.

They went to work.  
Silently, Alex and Justin worked towards the same goal. First they read the aura of the magic. Before figuring out what had happened, they needed to know what was going on. In some ways, this advanced level magic was like a jigsaw puzzle. The whole thing was before them, but broken into billions of pieces. By themselves, neither Justin nor Alex could have solved this problem. He was good at putting puzzles together, finding similarities of the pieces, but weak on the subtleties of the image. She knew art, color, and had imagination, but did not understand how to fix what she broke. They both had to string magic together in unbelievably complex ways, weaving and winding... only to unwind that same knot.

Within a minute, they managed to reverse the damage completely. Nelvis awoke, strangely at ease. He looked up into Alex's warm eyes. (Those orbs seemed filled with sadness...) Justin was there too, looking grim. He snapped his fingers, using a triple whammy spell: he stripped Nelvis of his powers, turned him into a mouse, and flashed that mouse to a cage in his office.

With Nelvis gone, the two siblings were stuck in silence. There was no more emergency to work together to fix. For the first time in months, they were both forced to look at each other, _really_ look at each other. The judgement came back with no hope.

Alex was a mess. The way she was dressed was significantly more provocative than Justin remembered. She would never have worn such a short skirt back when they lived together. Her face was a bit blotchy... and understandably so. Her hair had blond highlights... that was new. Her eyes... they killed Justin. He had always loved her eyes. He had always loved her.

And now he realized why he had to stay away. He loved her, **loved **her-_loved _her. As in he could not even think of his life without her. He wanted her now, wanted to be closer to her. Her absence in his life was inexcusable. She was sunshine in rain, red M&Ms on cake, she was color, painted across his black and white life. He needed her to love him again. But he knew she could not.

He knew it was wrong that he wanted to kiss her.

Alex was a mess. Although she felt totally exposed to Justin... it was **his** clothing that destroyed her. He was pristine. His clothes were freshly pressed, each piece stuck together, like a look had been charmed to assemble his clothes around him. It was all tied together to hide him. His body was covered over, just like him. Gone was the boy who would help a trouble-maker because he loved her. His hair, his eyes... they were dead. Someone had killed her brother, and put this thing in his place.

Alex didn't love him. She could not love this, this _thing. _Her brother was gone, and she wanted him back. He was the groud beneath her feet. A nice warm meal before desert... He loved her... or had. The person that sat before her was like a large gray splotch that she wanted to paint with color.

A color like her lipstick.

The silence that fell came to an end as they both rose. Justin straightened the table, Alex the chairs. The centerpiece of flowers lay forgotten as they fidgetted.

Finally, they straightened each other. Justin put Alex's clothes back into place, smoothing them until they fit in. Alex loosened Justin's clothing so he was more comfortable. Even kneeling to help Nelvis put him out of whack.

They both ignored the feeling of heat. Their fingertips were embers... their skin like fine fuel, sheer explosives that went off whenever the other grazed the bare flesh. So busy were they trying to fight their urges they missed the fact that the other one was struggling under the same problem.

Justin moved back, content with his work but discontent with his life. Alex shifted defensively, knowing she wanted him to stay, to hold her, to make it all better... to kiss her and love her.

He left silently in a flash.

They were both alone.

A.N. This is an extended piece, so in case you're wondering, it gets even more depressing! Like... seriously, if you're thinking about suicide, don't read this. Think happy thoughts!


	25. Estranged 2

Alex stood still as the worlds. She loved Justin, like, more than a sister should love her brother.

_This is sick, this is wrong... but he'll help me. He has to._

That was the only thing keeping her going. They could figure it out together. But first, she had some business to attend to. She walked right into Wiztech, ignoring the fact that officially, she was banned.

**"JUSTIN!"**

There was no way he had not heard her. She sat down in the Common Area and waited. Plenty of the stuends recognized her. They waved to her nervously. After what happened to Nelvis, they were certainly wary of her presence.

Alex was used to be treated like a dangerous criminal. Eventually a teacher fetched her and took her to the principal's office. She passed a group of free-wheeling students. They had been let out of punishment because Justin wanted to deal with her himself.

She sat in a chair and waited for him to appear. Alex took a breath, and bid farewell to her wand.

_You were fantastic, but... I need more._

She wondered what Mason was up to these days. It would be just like him to pop in out of nowhere.

"Care for some tea, Alex?" She turned to find Justin standing good-naturedly in the doorway. She shook her head, and took a deep breath.

"No thank you," She whispered.

Justin was on high alert. She could be here for any reason. And she was being nice. Being obvious and polite were Alex's warning signals, and over the years, Justin had developed a knack for learning them. He dreamed that one day soon, he would be able to strip her of her powers.

"I want you to strip me," Alex spoke in monotone.

Justin lurched forward, coffee spewing from his mouth. He coughed a bit. His beautiful younger sister...?

"I realize now that Crumbs made a mistake. I should not have been made a full wizard."

Justin's blood pressure dropped. Oh, that's what she meant, "Alex, are you sure?"  
He was no longer agreeable. Besides what plan she had brewing, this was a major step to take. She shook her head.

"Why?"

Alex looked down ashamed, "I can't tell you..."

Justin grumbled, but he guessed why; she had almost annihilated Nelvis. He stretched his hand to her chest, and pulled. Alex gasped as her strength was ripped from her. He looked at her with pain in his eyes...

"Alex..."  
"I have to go!"  
She got up to leave, unknowing that Justin had used another triple-whammy spell. Her necklace came undone as she hit the floor, "I love you!"  
She blurted it out under the truth spell.

He looked at her curiously, "Alex..."

She got up, pushed clumsily past the desk and started yelling at the top of her lungs, "**I think about you all the time, and it hurts, it hurts me so bad, and I know it's wrong, and sick, but I do. I love you Justin, I do, I want no one else, I would do anything for you. Anything. And you know this!" **

She pressed her lips to his, and passionately gave herself over to him. Alex's heart was held in Justin's hands. She stopped and pulled back looking for any sign of love.

He smacked her face and told her to leave.

Shoulders down, Alex turned to go. Tears poured down her face. She had made herself vulnerable. It was an act of courage, one of many in her life that had lead to her pain. She left alone.

Almost.

Before she touched the door, time stopped for everyone but Justin. He was horrified. Alex, his Alex... and she was his, always had been, always would be... was in pain. He loved her more. The wizard wanted to go back and be the first to admit he was in love. To re-do the whole thing, but with more affection. But he could not.

It was wrong. They were brother and sister. They were bound together by blood. He notiiced that her belt was a red cord. Justin resisted the urge to fix it. Like their blood, this cord was tempting, but he could not change it.

He circled her, aware of the fact she could not tell what he was doing. She had kissed him, given him permission to touch her really...

He brushed her cheek, pushing the offensive tears from her eyes. Alex was so beautiful when crying. It was like a rainbow during a storm... He found himself kissing her minutes later. She could never know he loved her.

Justin found the strength to stop himself.

He went back to his place, and unfroze time.

Alex left alone... but noticed that her tears were wiped away, and her lips were warm...

A.N. More drama! More angst! Thanking my reviewers politely (You know who you are!) and demanding that you guys enjoy this chapter!


	26. Estranged 3

No one had seen Alex for weeks. Justin had to deal with his distraught parents. They begged him to interfere. His father, especially went down on his knees.  
"Justin... please, this is my baby girl, my princess... you know what dangers the wizarding world holds. Won't you do anything?"  
Justin shrugged, "I can do no more than I already am. He pushed his parents out the door and instructed the staff not to let them back in, promising to visit them once he could do something. His schedule was by no means iron-clad. An opening would be coming in about thirteen years.

The council was furious. He had stripped a full wizard of her powers, and now she was gone. What if she came back with a vengeance? Justin's frustrations over the focus on his sister took hold of him. He screamed obcenities and told them not to worry themselves over someone that mattered so little.

He had to repeat this performance in front of his students. Oddly, they were more accepting of the new Justin. He had relaxed the rules, brought back warm meals, and was just... cheerier. His outlook on life was radically different. Still, he would tolerate no more rumors about Alex. This was unnegotiable.

Mason was unconsoleable, "Please... I let her go without telling her I loved her... you don't know how much that hurts..."

Justin looked at the werewolf and nodded, "Actually I do..." He flashed to a sandwhich shop in New York. Standing in line, he waited patiently for the place to thin out.

T.J. was there, flirting with her. Juliet. Justin felt a burning sensation. He ordered quickly, then left to sit down. She knew he was here, she had to. Her sense of smell was unrivaled.

Minutes later, a thin pale arm appeared with a non-flavored iced tea. He absently thanked her and dropped in a couple packets of sugar. He then motioned to the seat across from him. Juliet, not smiling, sat amicably.

"T.J. Wow... Didn't see that coming," He said as she looked away. Justin cleared his throat and spoke again, "I'm sorry."

She said nothing, so he continued, "I really am sorry. For everything, and I would like to be forgiven."  
Her eyes were filled with pain, "Justin... I can't-"

He held up his hand, "I don't want to get back together!" Seeing his misstep, he explained, "But I can't move on with the pain I caused you. It was my fault, I knew that when I was doing it, and I wanted you to know I was sorry. You put a lot of faith in me, and I let you down. You weren't completely wrong though, it just took me a while to be the man you thought I was."

Juliet graced him with a small smile, "A man who takes care of his lady?"  
Justin blushed and stood with a smile, "Yeah, I'm just going around, tying up loose ends. And I knew that I could not go forward without making things right with you."

Juliet stared him in the eye, "I meant Alex. Will you take care of her?"

Justin shut up. His eyes went dark. She noticed he was no longer in a talking mood, so she bid him a farewell, and added, "You're not the man I thought you were until you make things right with Alex."  
Harper was inconsolable. She just could not understand how Justin abandoned her.

"Why you, Justin? Why do you get to see your friends and family, and Alex is alone out there?"

He paused, "She made her choice."

Finally, after another day of flashing from place to place, dodging questions about his sister, Justin Russo flashed home. Everyone missed her, and hated him for not bringing her back. He did not want her brought back.  
Not yet anyways.

Predictably, his house was a mess. Books lay haphazardly wherever it was possible to stack them. His fridge was empty, and art supplies littered his home. Justin had never been happier.

Two warm arms encircled him. Alex smiled into his back, tying him to her, "Does anyone suspect?"

He laughed, "They think you're in the Dark Realm or something!"

She released him and went back to painting. Justin noticed she was wearing that same red cord. He smacked her butt irritably, "And they're all angry at me for not 'helping' you again. You're a big girl, you can take care of yourself!"

She laughed at his frustration. Moving in with Justin had been a bit of surprise, especially considering how their last encounter had gone. Alex had resisted the temptation to kiss him again, but it was becoming more and more obvious what they both wanted.

"Max is going to be a problem. He started by asking me where you would go. He knows I know more than I'm letting on." The two embraced again, "How can we do anything when our loved ones are hunting us both?"  
The question went unanswered.

A.N. Gasp! This chapter is almost... happy! They're together! So the next chapter has to be really, really angsty! Bwa ha ha ha haaaaa!

Review please. Oh and read. One would be weird without the other...

P.S. My first fluffy is going online. If all the drama is killing you, read 'Soft!'


	27. Estranged 4

Justin and Alex slept. Not side by side, but opposite each other by the fire. Neither of them trusted the heat within. Alex opened here eyes to check on her brother's body. His shoes, nerdy as they were, welcomed her eyes forcing her to smile.

She loved him. And he loved her. Her heart exploded in joy at the thought.

For years, they had denied what they felt. They both ran around with monsters and mortals trying to forget the other. They had flirted, of course, but kept their distance.

The fights... oh, at first it had been bad, but they loved each other deep down. Then... the fights become their entire lives. They both lived to see each other in battle. After the competition, though, they started fighting for real. Hurtful words were said, lines were drawn, and they refused to see the other.

The pain for both had been unbearable. Alex had driven away anyone who could be considered her friend. Justin resigned his post. If not for a bizarre dinner at a diner in Autin, Texas, they would have avoided one another forever.

The second their eyes met, they knew. Alex remembered the silence. It was horrible. Like someone had compacted the years apart and smooshed it all together. They got the same booth, ate the Friday special, then left, completely without speaking to one another. She felt certain it was a fluke, and never thought she would see him again. It hurt her to think that way, so she went back the next week to remember their last meal together.

They were in love. It was hard to explain, but somehow, they both stopped lying to themselves. They acted more like a couple. Justin went back to work, Alex went to painting. They shared the same lair, the same house, the same life.

The Russo girl fingered the red string on her wrist. Justin had ripped one of his sweaters (it was beyond her _bleh_ factor anyway, so no big loss) She ripped the string out and he tied it around her finger, promising to love her forever.

"I love you."

It healed their hurts, it healed their hearts. After so, so, so long of living in denial, trying to fill the void in their lives with other people, and their own pride, FINALLY... they admitted it.

But they also knew they could never be together. One night, a particularly vigorous make-out session resulted in Alex taking things a bit too far (what, like it's her fault? Those clothes were built flimsy) and Justin stopped talking for two days. She was terrified. Didn't he love her anymore?

He told her they had to break up. She expected it to break her heart, but she did not give up that easily. People were starting to talk. They started to point fingers. Someone at a wizard press had started calling them 'Jalex' at some point.

Basically, the whole world thought that they were incestuous. (Okay, so... things had gotten a little heated. Not her fault that Justin is fascinated by her body.) But then they ran into a dead end; the future. How long could they hide? And even if they survived a couple of centuries, then what? Could they get married? Have kids?

Even Alex knew what would happen if they tried that. Thus certain things were 'off-limits.' But making something wrong only stoked the fire inside. Eventually, Alex broke down. She wanted more than a peck on the cheek, and, to her credit, did something very adult. (**Not that! Get your mind out of the gutters!**) Alex talked it out with Justin. After long hours of research he came to the same conclusion that she had.

They were totally screwed.

But she had the solution; the ultimate whammy, the oh-so-convenient plot device: The Stone of Dreams. One wish, that's all it could take, just a simple 'fix this' and they could be together.

Alex wondered idly about her future with Justin. Who would she be? She had already given up her magic to him. Maybe she would be a mortal, and he would have to step down. Maybe she would be a wizard and have to give up her magic for him. But she knew in her heart she would always love him.

She knew he thought about their past. Ever since they traveled back to Hawaii, he had been reminiscing about their time here. The way her clothes flashed in the light, her ever-unkempt hair, the way she napped whenever she got a chance... Justin talked about how he had loved her even here.

They did not speak of their parents. There was no reason to. But Mason and Juliet gave them pause. Mason had reacted poorly to his break-up with Alex. He knew she had kicked him to the curb for good now, but Juliet threw in a whole other wrench into the mechanics. The Wizard Council was concerned about this 'Jalex' thing. So they brought in the two monsters. What had happened behind closed doors was hidden from the siblings.

Alex shuddered. She hoped they had not suffered. Of course, somebody out there was tracking them. Justin had figured it out using math, Alex by instinct. Someone had followed them from New York and kept an eye on them. So... no more 'hankey-pankey.' (Seriously, Justin said that and Alex kept a straight face. If that wasn't love she doesn't know what is.) She picked at the red string irritably, thinking of her tainted blood. She wished she was a complete stranger, then sleeping next to Justin would be naughty, but hot, not illegal and immoral. So she waited amoungst the blooming wildflowers. The smell was a powerful aphrodisiac, and made her head swim with want. Justin looked so comfortable... he probably wouldn't mind if she just... no, she had to wait.

All they have to do is hold out for just a little while longer, and the Stone will make all their dreams come true.

What could possibly go wrong...?

A.N. I think we all know that this is going to end badly. So... here's a challenge; in my extended works, there is a theme strung throughout. There are two in this story, what are they? One is flowers (I forgot to insert them into the last one as Alex's painting.) As for the other, I'll give you a hint; it ties the whole thing together... Guess, guess, guess, guess!

Oh, and review.


	28. Estranged 5

Alex and Justin held hands while they walked. They were so, so happy together. The sound of her laugh stuck to Justin like honey. He wanted to hear it again and again...

"Again!" He cried. She rolled her eyes, and did her ridiculous dance again.

"I thought you would appreciate the fact that I learned how to robot!" Alex's eyes filled with joyous tears. Justin finished laughing and turned to her. She regarded him with a warm curiousity.  
"What?"

He looked down, embarassed, "I just... want you to know, I love you. And that right now, I have never seen anything more beautiful," She looked away, slightly awkward towards the sunset, "Wow..."

She looked back at him. He summoned a flower using magic and put it behind her left ear. Her hand (still wearing the red string) went up to cup his, the flower blossoming into a bushel.

"You just got more beautiful to me."

She blushed. They hugged. Both knew they had lost years fighting. It was time to heal the wounds.

The problem was the future. They knew, although they would never say anything, that they may never see each other again. Justin drew her in for one of their rare kisses. The Stone, though powerful, was also dangerously unpredictable. They could both lose their magic, turn into wolves, be sent millions of years into the future, etc. They held to these moments for as long as possible. The sun dropped.  
"Justin... I love you," Alex admitted through tears.

There was silence, then they heard, "So do I."

Juliet Van Heusen stepped daintily into the clearing. Justin swallowed. Hard.

"Juliet, I..." The vampire held up a hand.

"They'll never let you be together, you know."

Alex and Justin fidgeted, still finding their way to each other's sides.

"Why are you here?" Alex worried about Juliet's presence. The blond looked away in shame.

"We're here to stop you..."

The two Russos took off.

"Alex, my love, please stop!" Tear streamed from Alex's eyes. She left Mason behind.

Whirling around, the two lovers found what their love had wrought. Juliet and Mason, forced to hunt them, turned on each other. Once the two had been in love, as deeply in love as anyone had a right to be. Now they ripped into each other with ferocity. Justin and Alex, though together, felt horrible. The Stone could still save this situation, though. They ran inside.

"Justin, you have to get the Stone! I can't use it again!"

Justin nodded. He took off. Alex felt that horrible feeling in her stomach again. Justin was risking his life too... he slipped and fell.

Alex reached out to save him. His hand slipped through hers.

"NO!"

A second, stronger pair of hands caught him.

Alex turned in shock, "MAX!" She through her arms around him in happiness. Tears streamed down her face. Max brought Justin high enough to get a hold, then brushed his sister off.

Alex found herself on her butt, looking confused as her little brother made for the Stone, "Max, what are you doing? Max!"

She helped Justin up. He panted out an answer, "The Wizard Council must have sent him. It is far too dangerous to use the Stone. We have to stop him, but I'm too big now."  
He pointed at her, "You, go get the Stone and throw it to me!"  
She nodded, not arguing his logic.

Alex made her way to Max. Justin bit his thumb in fear. It was easier last time, he could do something when his life was on the line. Alex... He switched thumbs.

Max was well ahead of his sister. He climbed the crumbling rocks with a certainty; if Justin could do it, he could do it. He had to reach the Stone to keep reality safe. He heard noise behind him urging him on.

Alex realised Max would get to the Stone before her, so she did the only thing she could think of; she jumped.

"NO!" Justin screamed in terror. She was not going to make it...

A hand grabbed her.

"Max!"

The force of her jump swung her over the side. She leapt onto the platform pulling her little brother with her. There was no time to celebrate. She reached for the rock. Before her sat her future with Justin; they could have it all; a family, a home, happiness, acceptance... magic. It glowed in her hands, responding to her touch.

"Alex!" Cried Justin, "Throw it to me!"

She turned and throw the Stone of Dreams. As it flew, their minds put their future together; a wedding day with bells and rice. Moving in together. A child. Moving again. Fights... love... more fights, covered by massive amounts of love. Another child... and another... living together, loving together... Their first child was about to graduate when the dream stopped. The Stone was half-way over the hole when it was intercepted.

Max gave Justin one last look of hate before plunging into the hole.


	29. Estranged Finale

"You're sure he said 'Alex', not 'Mary,' Dominique?"

Dominique Blatt nodded her head vigorously. Gorog threw a fit. For a creature as old as the darkness of men's hearts, he lost himself quite easily in his rage. After all this time! The prophecy promised him a Russo!

Justin- intelligent, capable boy, must have figured it out! Gorog took a breath. He knew what Dominique wanted; the fame and fortune to reappear. The dark angel shook himself steady. Stevie had failed him as well; promising to get close enough to Justin to sway him evil.

His servants were whores and fools.

It would be a long time before Justin would let anyone close to him again. As it was, he stayed home from college to tutor Alex. The two were... uncomfortably close.

"How often is he over here?"

The has-been shuddered in fear, "At least twice a week. But he hasn't used her real name since that night on the phone. He's been really, really careful!"

Gorog squinted, "And the rest of the family?!"  
"No one comes with him; he's always alone!"

The monster shook his head. He had been so close! Soon, Alex would be eighteen- and unlike her siblings, keep her powers. Justin, the dark's champion, had lost his due to a technicality he could have prevented.

"You're wrong."

Dominique, thinking about what it would be like to regain her fame, started, "Wha-?"

"He's not alone."

She blinked stupidly.

"Oh, it may just be the two of them. Justin is not close to his little brother out of fear, and he has always believed his parents hated him for his failure. As a nerd, he has no place in the mortal realm, and as a powerless wizard, no place in the wizarding world. But he is not alone."

"Are you sure?" Typically, Dominique would be too afraid to ask such a forward question.

Gorog grimaced forlorn, "Yes... I'm sure. He doesn't have Alex... but he certainly has Mary."

A.N. I didn't like my ending that much. One sharp-eyed reviewer spotted that Justin made a Freudian slip. At the time of writing this, I was having difficulty figuring how to talk about Mary/Alex in the third person. I realized Justin would have the same problem.

There's a whole lot of subtext I wanted to deal with here. Since I never explained most of it, here we go;

Gorog knows he needs a wizard for the Compass, and thinks it's Alex, so he kidnaps her and has her raised in an abusive home in exchange for making Dominique famous. Justin, growing up, goes to the dark side to justify himself.

Gorog realizes on some level he has the wrong kid. Justin wants Alex back, but realizes he can't hurt Mary. The end.

Maybe I should write a sequel...?


	30. Lost One

A.N. Hey! I'm back

Justin stood over his little sister irritably. Alex was very noisy. She cooed up at him daringly. Her brother frowned, but that made her giggle rebelliously. She seemed to enjoy it when he felt upset.

Justin was upset. He was supposed to be starting kindergarten soon. Instead, he had to watch over his little sister as his parents attended his brother's first doctor's appointment. Justin glared at the little menace. Younger siblings were like rodents; get one and expect another to come along for the ride.

The unhappier he was, the more Alex laughed. She toddled about him, giggling and mumbling incoherently. Justin rolled his eyes, "I'm going potty, you stay here!"

He shuffled off. His awesome sneakers (Jim Bob light-ups) flashed in the dark hallway. He knew he was not supposed to leave his sister. Before his daddy left him, he was told, "Don't leave Alex alone."

It would be okay, though. That nice man in the top hat said so. So he took his books in with him. He knows that Mommy said he takes too long when he has them, but studying is so cool! Learning is fun, and Justin knows that even if he does not have all the answers, somebody does. So he goes and reads.

After finishing his second book, he decides to return to his seat in the kiddie room.

First he looked for his little sister. She was nowhere to be seen. This bothered him. He tried to ask the worker, but she shooed him off, busily flirting with a cute boy. Justin grumbled. Alex was probably playing a mean trick again.

He checked around for clues. All he found was a jet black feather.

"Ow-wex?" He exclaimed childishly, "Ow-wex, ow yew heya?" He went to the worker again and tugged at her pant leg. She looked at him like he had just peed on her, "My wittle sithter is gone."

The teen shook her head, "She left with your grandpa, remember?"

He played with the feather irritably, "That wathint my poppa."

The girl looked at him in shock, "Then who was he?"

Justin shrugged and went back to his books. Once his mommy got back from helping little Maxie, she would get the mean lady's attention. His momma was good at that.

All he remembered was fear. There was yelling in the next room as Justin was given a teddy bear. He set it aside and went for the books. An officer lady walked in very, very slowly, "Hey J-man, may I speak with you?"

Justin looked at her suspiciously. She said she was a police-lady, but she was not wearing a police uniform. He told her that. She showed him her badge and he checked it over. It looked legit.  
"I wanted to ask you some questions about that man who took Alex."

Justin frowned again, "Ow-wex is mean."

He did not mean it really, but the look on the police-lady's face cowed him instantly. The little boy apologized profusely. A warm hand was put on his shoulder, "Just tell me what you remember, 'kay?"

Justin closed his eyes hard.

"Just… pretend you have a magical power to bring-"  
Justin stopped her right there, "I'm not tuppode to youth magic!"  
"Okay… just, pretend like you can remember anything out of the ordinary."

Justin closed his eyes. He tried to go back to what he was thinking about, "I wath weeding my book."

"Yes, I see you like books. What else?"

Justin had been so preoccupied on reading he had not been paying a lot of attention when the man came, "I told da wady I wath not thuppode to go wit dat man. And… he usethed a word. It wath a big word, and I like big wordth."

He could tell this pleased the police-lady, she smiled and asked him to continue. He did so happily. Justin liked making people proud, "And I thad I had to go potty and he thad…" Justin thought real hard, "Beep."

He opened his eyes to a confused face, "Does that mean anything to you?"

The lady shook her head, but brought him a big book to read from. His parents entered to find him reading, "Crime and Punishment."

They were very upset. Justin was confused, "When is Alex coming back?"

They exchanged a look, "We're not sure honey. She's gone."

Justin felt real bad. She was his responsibility. (Responsibility was the first big word he had ever learned.) He felt sad, "But… why?"

No one had an answer. Why did no one have an answer? Always, the answer was in a book. He would open a book, and the answer was there. He vowed he would find the answer some day.


	31. Lost Two

Next chapter

Justin spent years buried in work. He saw the sorrow of his parents every day, and even though he was a young child, he knew that he had screwed up big time. To Jerry and Theresa's credit, they never told him that they blamed him. And he never told them about the feather. At first, he just liked it; it was pretty and he wanted to keep it. Then… it became an obsession. He drew it back and forth over his lips when thinking about his sister. And he was obsessed. A decade passed them by without word from her.

Justin was different now. Not just older… crazier too. He felt horrible guilt. It was his sister, his responsibility. He should have known better, he did know better and he still screwed up big time. Well, the party responsible for messing with his family would pay.

Justin studied hard, increase in knowledge meant increase in power. He used his uncle Kelbo to assemble a massive list of all potential enemies. It took him months to even narrow it down to likely possibilities. Then one day he realized he accidently kept the biggest clue of all; that damned feather. He researched it, ran it through dozens of complicated tests and found his enemies.

He determined who had taken her; dark angels. The day he found out there was a vocal mourning in the dark realm. A wizard was very, very, very angry at them. He brought thunder and lightning and holy fire into their refuges. He dragged up every underling he could capture and wrung as much information out of them as possible. His suspicions were confirmed when he met the most compelling source of all. An angel named Rosie appeared to help him. She told Justin that the angel worlds were looking for angel champions, the dark realm chose Alex, and the light had chosen Justin.

The murderous look in his eyes made her recoil, "As glad as I am that you just now came forward with this information… how could you let my sister be taken like that?"

Rosie looked away from his eyes painfully, "I was watching someone else, someone worthy of being watched. I could not protect both."  
"You made a mistake!" He snarled and walked away.  
"I was protecting _you _Justin!"

He paused and whispered back, "I know… but you still made a mistake. I wish you had saved her. Instead, you hedged your bets because I'm better taught, better trained, and Alex is alone out there. You ought to be ashamed."

She was ashamed, but she still watched over him.

Justin got over it. He did not care about the whether he and Alex were supposed to duke it out over the fate of the world. He cared that his little sister was alone out there.

The worst part was the dreams. He felt a connection to her. Almost every night he would call to her. Someone would answer. It was a hellish torture. Eventually he figured the dark angels had dropped her off in the mortal plane. He set up a magic tracker. This took him years. First he had it track every female in the world, and then narrowed it down by age. Millions showed up.

Year by year he would through photos. Finally, on Alex's thirteenth birthday, he caught a lucky break; there was snow in New York- in the middle of summer. The timing could not have been clearer. Justin straight-up wept when he saw it. It was magic, it was beautiful. It had to be her. He knew where to look now. All this time he had scoured other worlds, tortured information from monsters and humans alike, and all along he was in the same city as her.

Justin went to class with a skip in his step. Alex did not know she had magic. She had no way of controlling her full powers. He had maybe a week until that ended. He did research; casting a spell that captured the image of every girl with any connection at all to the snow, Justin went through a hundred photos a week. He knew he would recognize her when he saw her, he just knew it.

And her magic was stunning. He would do it, he knew he could. He would find her, vanquish her monsters, and bring her back to her family who loved her.

But in the end, he turned out to be her worst nightmare.


	32. Lost Three

Next Chapter

"Alex/Mary" sat by herself again. It had always been this way. She had moved with her adoptive mother from town to town. The worst had to be over. She tried to pay attention in class, but she just was not academically suited. "I don't test well," She said.

She sat by herself; she had no friends. Besides being a poor student, she also had little to no time to make a friend. At least Sylvia had promised they would be staying in town this time. She hated moving.

The bell rang, and the students poured out. Acknowledging the fact that she had to get home on time, Mary took off on her skateboard. She managed to get home to an empty house (bonus; nobody to bother her) and got to work. She was told to clean the entire thing, top to bottom. Mary let out a grunt of anger. How dare her step-mother do this to her?!

She scrubbed floors and walls, toilets, and sinks, and counters and clocks. After vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, wiping, and waxing, she met with the most daunting task of all; the chandelier. How could she reach it?

Looking down at the rag in her hand, Mary closed her eyes and focused on what she wanted. Making sure she was alone, Mary closed her eyes, and concentrated hard. Her face grew red. A small glow emanated from her palm. The rag moved.

It floated up and started rubbing against the dust in the fixture. The maid let out a premature sigh of relief that broke her focus. The rag stopped moving and lodged itself in one of the lights.

The door slammed open, announcing the presence of Sylvia and her disgusting offspring.

The mother spoke, "You can't dust with your rag up there, that's stupid. You're stupid."

Mary looked down in embarrassment as her step-sisters mocked her. She felt like the rag, dirty, unused, unwanted, and stuck. She sighed and went back to work.

"Oh, and Mary? Pack our things, we're moving to New York. Big Apple, baby," Dominique hollered.

Mary's heart sank. She really had no time to make a friend now.

At least they would be going to New York. Maybe this time she would find an actual home. She went to her room and sat on her bed glumly.

Alex could almost reach out and touch his face; the man that haunted her dreams. He kept calling her by a name that sounded familiar, but it was not the name she went by. The glow in her hand started up again.

His presence grazed her. She could feel him, and she knew he could feel her right back. Sometimes he tried to reach out to her. It was maddening; Mary knew he was trying to contact her, but like bad cellular service, they never really connected.

But times like this she did not feel lonely. Then the connection severed.

Tomorrow was her fourteenth birthday.

Justin pushed as hard as he could. She was reaching out to him. He could feel her; she was lonely and sad, and needed him, "ALEX!" He shouted. His hand glowed. Justin felt her in his mind. She was _right_ there. Her mind almost connected to his. They were so close to actually having a conversation! He grunted in frustration when his parents burst in. His concentration broke, the connection severed.

They were shocked when their son screamed at them.

"Justin," Jerry said, "You have to let her go."

Theresa nodded sadly. It had been a decade. As heartbreaking as it was… they had to move on. The two stood side by side to show solidarity. Justin paced angrily.  
"Never, she's my responsibility!"

The couple exchanged a look. Theresa spoke up, "Justin, when we lost Alex, we were so confused, and angry, but we moved on. You need to let this go."  
He looked around his room. Charts and maps, statistics…. His life was a mountain of work to find his baby sister. She had consumed so much he had never thought about the cost. All that mattered was getting her back. His shoulders sagged, "Fine."

Justin packed the material up, and gave up looking for the girl in his dreams.

He stopped pushing for her.


	33. Lost Interlude

A.N. Don't you just hate making mistakes? I realized that I left Alex's age a bit in the dark. According to canon, she got her powers around 13-14 years old, plus this contains the allusion to Cinderella Story 2, so, imagine about that age. But first... a flashbaaaaack!

"I need you!"

The angel of darkness exploded. Justin smirked, "Dead," He finished. Using magic, he transformed himself into the deceased. It was a strange feeling, but oddly comfortable.

The Angels would pay for taking Alex; maybe he could no longer look for her, but he was fully capable of exacting revenge. He grabbed a ride into the Dark Realm. No wings meant he needed it. He landed with a squad of Dark Angels. They bowed before the most terrifying being in the universe; Lord Gorog.

The most terrifying man in the universe sighed, "Let me guess; more of our kind are missing?"

The squad was too terrified to speak, or move for that matter.

"Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo is coming along nicely. Though I do wish he would cease killing off my servants."

The lord ran a gloved hand over his exposed hair. The air was silent but for the nervous breathing.

"My lord," Squawked an underling, "Shouldn't we... deal with him?"

Gorog laughed angrily, "We are! Don't you understand?"

Justin flinched. He had come here to put some fear into the Most Terrifying Man in the Universe. Instead, it appeared as though he missed an important step.

"Listen; Justin is working for us! Two wizards," He held up his right index and middle finger, "Both destined to fight over the Moral Compass. I believed it to be Alex, she was trouble, even from a young age, and Justin was self righteous!"

The wizard rolled his eyes. It was just like a villain to broadcast his plan, "I didn't know which would fight on my side. So, we took Alex, and gave her a miserable life!"  
Justin's fists clenched.

"I figured we'd push her and push her until she exploded with rage. Then we swoop in, tell her about wizards, and how she'll lose that power at the Competition..."

Realization hit Justin; the Competition, she could die.

"Think about that for a moment; one second, you finally get your revenge after being treated like trash for a decade, the next, you find our your _real_ family is going to try and take that power from you! So, she'll work for me!"

He crowed loudly, "But... I was wrong. She has been pushed, and beaten, and mocked and hated by someone who cut a deal for fame long ago..." Justin scored that little nugget away; someone owed Gorog a favor, and that's why they adopted Alex. He figured out long ago it would be impossible to raise a wizard in the Dark Realm. If for no other reason that the Council would find out.

Gorog went on, "Justin... is so full of anger. His family has forgotten his sister! Has forgotten how he failed! He has so much to prove, and when he does prove his worth, it will be out of fury! He belongs to us! And sooner or later, when the fight for the Compass does go down... he will strike his sister down with the same fury he has always had!"

The crowd roared in appreciation. Justin swallowed hard. Gorog was right; he had been chasing angrily. This hunt was about _him_ how he had failed, how he needed _her_. Well, no more.

He let it go; all that anger at the angels. They were using him, using that frustration to turn him evil. And it was working. Justin was becoming the kind of guy that would hurt his sister.  
Gorog turned to Justin, "Isn't that right?"  
The room was quiet again. Justin nodded, "Yeah... but no more!" He pulled out his wand, "Too much darkness endured, Russo family now obscured!" The spell resonated. Gorog was too powerful to vanquish on his own. But magic still affected him. He and every other Dark Angel could no longer perceive any Russo at all.

This meant that Justin could no longer torture Dark Angels for information. He had given up his chance of revenge, of vindication, to protect her.

She needed him, but not the person he was when he started this hunt.


	34. Lost Four

Next Chapter

Alex/Mary groaned in frustration. Her fourteenth birthday had been horrible. All her life, she had exhibited abilities she could not understand, forcing her deeper and deeper into herself. Who was she? _What _was she? Was she even human?

All this time she had felt like a freak. The one thing that she held onto was 'him'. Some guy she made up. It was like having an invisible boyfriend. They never spoke, or touched, but they could still communicate. He would feel intense frustration, and she would counter with understanding. It was like hugging him. Their souls were together all the time.

But after her fourteenth birthday… she felt him disconnect. He was leaving her. For the first time ever, Mary Santiago felt truly alone. Her hand glowed uncontrollably in class, and she had to excuse herself.

She sobbed, alone, lost and forgotten on the steps to the school, "I'm a freak! I'm a freak! I'm a freak!"

Her hand banged again and again in frustration. Alex beat her hand until it bleed, and that made her happy because she deserved pain. She was a freak.

Her powers grew out of control; burning dinner, turning her mop into a dog, turning her entire house orange. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and it rained to fit her mood.

The day had been terrible beyond words for Mary Santiago.

He was no longer with her. Whatever silent guardian stayed up into the night as she cleaned, and woke her bright and early in the morning had found something better to do. He had left her just like everyone else. It was like having a best friend, someone that was always there, always _just_ about to give her the hug she so desperately needed... And now her life was going down the drain.

It was a miracle. The day after he had given up on finding Alex this had happened. It had to be a sign. It was her fourteenth birthday. Maybe she was a late bloomer, and this was a show of her powers manifesting.

Justin closed his eyes and went out into the rain. Droplets of salt-water poured down. It was magic, and it was amazing. It had to be magic, regular rain was not salty. That and the rainclouds were only raining over the school. That was an indicator that something supernatural was going down.

He laughed giddily. This whole time he had been searching high and low in the supernatural world and she was here, in New York! Had he met her already! Was she someone already near him! His frustration grew. He should have been out making friends this whole time. If only he had talked to the people around him, he would have found her sooner!

The principal told him he had to teach a class. He laughed for joy. He would teach a hundred classes for a day like this! This was the first real lead since Rosie.

He was so happy, he momentarily forgot that millions of people live in New York, and that any wizard, even Max could have cause this.


	35. Lost Five

Mary Santiago sighed at the back of her class. Yes, she was a rebellious teen. But a great deal of that rebellion had been slowly dredged out of her by her step-mother. And the worst part was the fact that she never knew who her real parents were.

The remedial class she was in was excruciatingly boring. The teacher droned on and on and on about some sort of concept she really did not understand. Was this math or science? Her notes were a mess. If Dominique Blatt got ahold of her grades.… Mary shivered unpleasantly. She would be in so much trouble.

The door popped open. Some nerd she did not recognize burst in. He spoke to the teacher quickly, "Alright, delinquents. I have a pop quiz for you!"

The teacher left them in his hands.

The class groaned. The nerd continued, "Alright, maybe I don't. If one of you actually tells me what you can use this principle for, I'll let you all go!" He tapped the board. Every student there sat up in their seat and scrambled through their notes. Even Mary tried to solve it.

Several random answers were hollered. Soon, Justin got the class under control and managed to help them get close enough to the answer. He let them out two minutes early. Mary was happy for the break. She made a straight line for the door.

"Homework!" Her young teacher called. That word crushed whatever hopes she had. _Okay, Mary, time for doe-eyes. Hopefully McNerdy here is a sucker for the softest peepers in America. _She pouted her lip out. Any break at all would be helpful. She had not finished her homework for today, nor was she ready for it tomorrow.

Justin was going student by student. Because of his social standing, and the fact that this was a remedial class, most of the students did not seem familiar. But there was one… The second those eyes latched onto his, he knew. She said her name was Mary. There was a plea on her lips. His heart stood still. For once, the angels were looking out for him. She was a transfer student. She had only been in town a couple of days.

Mary was surprised when her new substitute teacher took out a piece of paper and wrote down, 'A'. Her heart leapt with joy. For some reason, she wanted to hug him.

She dashed out in the street and skateboarded home. Life there would be so much more bearable now!

Of course, once she got home she would be put to work on endless chores, but she could bare them now. She got an 'A.'

Her life got better in a very minor way.

Justin squealed happily. It had to be her, it just had to be. He checked over his class notes. Mary Santiago. He read everything. Because of his standing as a student aide, he could access her private information. Her life was bared before him, and he could not help but read.

It crushed him.

Mary, or Alex he guessed, was a bright girl, but her home life left much to be desired. Her art scores were phenomenal, but her work in math and science were atrocious. He felt a burst of both pride and anger. He should have helped her along the way.

Was this Alex? For the first time, he felt unsure. Okay, so her eyes were the same warm chocolate he had always dreamed they were. And her age was about right… that and the fact she was adopted hit home that she might be Alex. But why did she not recognize him?

Justin slapped his head in annoyance. If only he had kept connected to his baby sister. He sought that connection out now, only to find it blocked. Whatever magic connected them, it was obviously dependent upon complete trust, a trust he had clearly broken. Fine, he could live with that. Looking over her grades, Justin came to a realization; Mary needed serious tutoring.

He found her number and called her house.

Mary hit her bed dejectedly. Dominique had given her a birthday present; soap and a pair of rubber gloves.

It was what she always wanted(!)

Still, that grade today… she shivered happily. She could tell no one, of course. Her step-sisters would only make trouble, and her step-mother would likely be a pain. The phone rang.

"Mary! Phone!"

Mary grumbled a bit but tried to pick it up with a cheerful tone, "Blatt residence, this is Mary, how may I help you?"

There was silence on the line. That was never a good sign. It was likely a debt collection agency (They've caught up to us already? Man, they're getting good!) or some prank caller.

"This is Justin Russo, the substitute teacher."

Mary swallowed nervously.

The line on another end clicked and Dominique let her thoughts known, "Who's calling at this hour, and how can I make this work for me?"  
Mary pouted in silence knowing what would happen if Justin revealed her poor grades. He was nice about it, but she knew she was in trouble.

"See, Alex has a lot of potential, but she needs some help to reach her goals. She should not need a lot of tutoring…."  
"Look bud, you sound hot for male jailbait, but I ain't running a school here. I can't afford your rates."

There was a pause, "She _needs _my help." Mary could not help but hear the urgency in his voice. Who was this? The day she lost her guardian angel, she thought no one would ever come for her... He needed to help her, "Fine, I'll do it for free. I'll be over in ten minutes."

Mary hung up the phone. He was coming here. She looked at herself in the mirror. Messy clothes were draped across her frame and dirt smudged her cheeks. The girl was a mess. Her step-sisters dropped by to mock her endlessly about her 'boyfriend' singing "Don't stand so close to me" by The Police. Mary ignored them.

The doorbell rang. Wow, he had gotten there really quickly! Mary checked herself over one more time in the mirror, and then headed down to face him.


	36. Lost Six

_She's Mary, not Alex, she's Mary, not Alex…_ Justin chanted to himself. He wanted to believe this was his sister, but he had to admit it could be anyone. He was just helping a friend in need. Mary greeted him. He took a moment to consider her more carefully. She resembled Theresa heavily; dark eyelashes that blinked over beautiful brown eyes, smooth brown skin, and dark curly hair. She was pretty, but in a sisterly way.

Justin had spent more than a decade imagining this moment... the hugs, the kisses... seeing her again. He always saw him as the hero, destroying dozens of monsters, saving her from certain doom. She would be there, as arrogant as ever... but thankful. She would thank him, and they would flash home to a big party. Crumbs would reward him with Wizard of the Year, and his parents would tell him how proud they were. The family would introduce her to Max, and the two would hug. Once they called for his speech, he would admit, that, deep down, he blamed himself.

Everyone would feel sorry. Then, Alex would speak, "Justin... it's not your fault, I always felt you with me, in my heart." And he would hug her, and be forgiven by everyone for his enormous mistake. But, vital to this dream, was the fact that she would know him. Alex would instinctively burst into tears when he found her.

"I'm Justin."

She introduced herself as Mary. Britt and Bree, her step-sisters watched eagerly, waiting for something to embarrass her by. Mary turned to them awkwardly, "So…. We're going to go study now! Thanks, by now!"

"Oh Mary!" interrupted Britt, "You forgot to clean the chandelier. Mary glared stubbornly, then stalked off to get her supplies. Britt rested her head agreeably against Justin's shoulder, "We have to stay on top of her, you know, or else she'll get lazy…"

Justin smiled amicably, then extricated himself. Once the girls ran after Mary to toture her further, he pulled out his wand and recited a spell to clean the light piece. When they returned, the girls stared up in shock.

"But… I… no, it was dirty!" Insisted Bree.

Alex recovered quickly, "Just because you think something is dirty, doesn't mean it is." She looked pointedly at Justin, "And now can we get to our homework?"  
He nodded smiling, and they walked away.

Next Chapter

Mary had trouble concentrating. Was her teacher coming onto her, or was it just her imagination? He was not _saying _he wanted to date her, but he did pay close attention to her, and compliment her. She tried to put it off as just him paying her attention, but it was much more intimate.

Justin was smart, like, really, really, trivia smart. So it took him awhile before he was capable of dumbing down his knowledge into something she could understand. But he was patient. After an hour in math (bleh) and half an hour into science (more bleh) Justin finally announced they were going to take a break. Mary groaned in relief.

She stood up and stretched. (Was he just regarding her, or checking out her body?) There was no way that her "step-monster" would ever help her by providing snacks for her study group, but maybe Justin could stay for dinner? She turned to him nervously, only to find him staring out the window intently.

"Justin?" She waved her hand in front of his face. She got no response. Mary leaned closer, peering into his eyes. Maybe she could read minds…! Leaning closely, she tried her very best to get inside his head, when- Justin jerked back when her hair tickled his neck. (He could have sworn he heard her thoughts; "What's he thinking, and why is he focused on me...?)

"Sorry about that. I was just thinking."  
She regarded him slowly, "What about?"

His head drifted from side to side ambiguously, "My sister, I guess."

Mary's head tilted to the side, "What's her name?" And why did she feel jealous of this girl? Why did she crave Justin's attention?

A smile lit his face. He leaned forward, and looked deep into her eyes. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Then he quietly whispered, "Alex…"

Mary drew away frightened, "I think you should go."

That was the name! In her dreams, she never heard it clearly (hello, it's a dream, and Alex is a boy's name!) Her guardian, her source of comfort that had just left her... it was like a decade of depressing thoughts had boiled to the surface. An old man taking her, giving her to Dominique... and that presence she felt... It scared her. She didn't even know what she was!

Justin, hanging his head dejectedly, left.

Britt and Bree had been listening in. Once it was obvious Mary did not want Justin around, they swooped in on him and insisted he stay. Justin was happy to comply. IT did not take him very long to regret his decision. The two girls used him to bully Mary. Dominique was about as close to a troll as any human he had ever seen.

So he did his best in trying to decline their offer for dinner. If Mary did not want him there, he really ought to go home. They insisted (as in they locked the doors) so he sat down to eat with them. The two flirted with him overtly. He did his very best not to insult them, but he was dating a girl already.

They demanded a name, so he supplied it, "Stevie!"

The two gasped in shock. Stevie was a trouble-maker.

"I guess you have something for the trouble-some ones, don't you, Male-bait!" Dominique slapped his thigh, hard.

Justin noticed there was no seat for Alex. She did appear, however, to serve food. Her eyes burned the floor with shame as her family forced her to serve them. It was humiliating. The closest thing she had to a friend was watching too. Blushing, she asked to be excused to eat. Her request was denied. Hot tears started to fall, so she retreated to the kitchen to make desert.

Alex was embarrassed. Anyone could see that. The tears in her eyes crushed Justin. Even if she was not his sister… it was still his duty to help this girl. Mary was told to go bring more food from the kitchen. Justin excused himself to help her. Dominque quipped to her daughter, "I better go make sure she doesn't make the same mistake her mother made." She then made a motion indicating a pregnant stomach. The girls giggled.

In the kitchen, Mary had a quick sob. She was just so upset! Maybe, just maybe, this Justin guy could be her friend, but that had been ruined. Why did he seem so familiar? The tears flowed quickly, and then she was done. When she was growing up, Mary learned how to cry quickly, then get back to work. Here, she was almost done with dinner. To her surprise, two warm hands stroked her shoulders.

"It's okay," He lied. Mary wanted nothing more than to flee into those arms. Something was wrong with her, she had no real friends, and this guy barely knew her. Still… he was willing to comfort her.

"Hey! Romeo! If you're going to bang the help, make sure she takes out the dinner first! I don't want her juices in my dessert!"

A flash of anger crossed Mary's face. She stormed over and grabbed the desert, taking it into the next room. Her step-sisters were there.

"Wow, I guess he didn't have that much stamina, or maybe he just didn't want you that much!"

Alex felt that power rise. Her hands glowed as she lashed out, "You pig!"

A flash of light later, and Bree was literally a pig.


	37. Lost Seven

It had to be her!

Justin froze Dominique in place and raced to the dining room. Brittany was screaming her head off as her sister, in pig form, scarfed down a salad and the tablecloth.

Alex, definitely Alex, turned to him with tears in her eyes. She stared, completely sure of how miserable her life was now, with only the stain of hope written on her face. She was one hundred percent sure this was her fault- she was a freak, a dirty, nasty abomination that everyone hated. He would spit in her face, and call her nasty names and no one would come... No one had ever come for her!

Until now.

Mary- no, Alex, needed him, and this time, he would protect her.

"What's wrong? Why're you screaming?" He demanded of the girls.

Britt pointed at the pig, "Bree…"

Justin shrugged, "I don't see any difference."  
When the girls turned to him in shock, Justin dropped his hand behind his jacket, smuggled his wand under the table, and transformed the girl back, "See?"

Alex and Brittany looked back.

They looked back and forth between the stranger and Justin. Bree, spitting the tablecloth out, spoke, "Uh… what just happened?"  
Meanwhile, Justin unfroze Dominque in time to hear her go on about a transvestite lover in Brazil.

"Yeah, that's fascinating, but… it's getting late…" He yawned loudly, "I gotta go!"

Alex walked him out. She looked at him with intense confusion. What had happened? Did he know she was a freak? Her depressing train of thought disappeared entirely as his arms wrapped around her. There was one thing for sure about her life now; she knew this was where she belonged, in Justin's arms.

Justin hugged her tight. He wanted to tell her everything; who he was, where she had come from, what her powers made her, why he needed her forgiveness. But he knew it was too much. Her brother promised to talk to her tomorrow, and then he flashed home.

Justin's heart sang with joy, and he burst into his favorite song, "Well you know everything's gonna be a breeze," He went through the chorus twice before noticing the serious look on his parent's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Justin, it's time," Jerry had the seriousness of a tomb, "Now that you've let Alex go, the Wizard Council is ready for the competition."

Max was already in full uniform, and Justin realized that if he told Alex, she would have to compete, and perhaps die. She didn't have the training her brothers had

"I'm ready."

The battle was quick, if it even counted as a battle. Justin annihilated Max, even though the whole time, he was thinking about Alex. About halfway through the competition, he called for a time-out. Toweling off, Justin faced his girlfriend.

"If you walk away, and let your brother keep his powers, you'll be setting an example! Everyone will be able to keep their powers!"

The whistle blew. Justin kissed Stevie goodbye and walked back to the judges, "I would very much like a ruling now." He declared. Max was angry, but knew his brother was crushing him. The council murmured with one another and declared their verdict.

"Since a family member is missing, there shall be no family wizard! Max and Justin shall both be stripped of their powers!"

Justin nodded, and relinquished his abilities. He turned to find Stevie gone.

He hung his head in defeat. Alex was ignorant of her power. He could defeat her easily; she had no training, like a puppy thrown into a dog fight. But what kind of monster would show up, tell her about her past, only to strip away her magic? No, it would be better like this. She would never know… Alex- no, Mary, would live her life in ignorance. It was better this way. He would look out for her, protect her secret from everyone. If the angels came around again... well he would deal with them, wouldn't he?

Justin realized just then that he had the opportunity to keep his powers, all he had to do was sacrifice Alex. Just rat her out, tell the council where she was. They would drag her in, strip her of her abilities... The look of betrayal he imagined would never end. He would never get the forgiveness he craved. Then again, not telling her about her past would never give him the opportunity either. But the difference was, he could live with her, and that was forgiveness enough...

Justin saw his little sister the next day. She would never know his secret, only know that she was no longer alone, and that someone would look out for her. Finally, he was her big brother again.

The end.


	38. Lost Epilogue

"You're sure he said 'Alex', not 'Mary,' Dominique?"

Dominique Blatt shook her head vigorously. Gorog threw a fit. For a creature as old as the darkness of men's hearts, he lost himself quite easily in his rage. After all this time! The prophecy promised him a Russo!

Justin- intelligent, capable boy, must have figured it out! Gorog took a breath. He knew what Dominique wanted; the fame and fortune to reappear. The dark angel shook himself steady. Stevie had failed him as well; promising to get close enough to Justin to sway him evil.

His servants were whores and fools.

It would be a long time before Justin would let anyone close to him again. As it was, he stayed home from college to tutor Alex. The two were... uncomfortably close.

"How often is he over here?"

The has-been shuddered in fear, "At least twice a week. But he hasn't used her real name since that night on the phone. He's been really, really careful!"

Gorog squinted, "And the rest of the family?!"  
"No one comes with him; he's always alone!"

The monster shook his head. He had been so close! Soon, Alex would be eighteen- and unlike her siblings, keep her powers. Justin, the dark's champion, had lost his due to a technicality he could have prevented.

"You're wrong."

Dominique, thinking about what it would be like to regain her fame, started, "Wha-?"

"He's not alone."

She blinked stupidly.

"Oh, it may just be the two of them. Justin is not close to his little brother out of fear, and he has always believed his parents hated him for his failure. As a nerd, he has no place in the mortal realm, and as a powerless wizard, no place in the wizarding world. But he is not alone."

"Are you sure?" Typically, Dominique would be too afraid to ask such a forward question.

Gorog grimaced forlorn, "Yes... I'm sure. He doesn't have Alex... but he certainly has Mary."

A.N. I didn't like my ending that much. One sharp-eyed reviewer spotted that Justin made a Freudian slip. At the time of writing this, I was having difficulty figuring how to talk about Mary/Alex in the third person. I realized Justin would have the same problem.

There's a whole lot of subtext I wanted to deal with here. Since I never explained most of it, here we go;

Gorog knows he needs a wizard for the Compass, and thinks it's Alex, so he kidnaps her and has her raised in an abusive home in exchange for making Dominique famous. Justin, growing up, goes to the dark side to justify himself.

Gorog realizes on some level he has the wrong kid. Justin wants Alex back, but realizes he can't hurt Mary. The end.

Maybe I should write a sequel...?


	39. Max's Reflection

Dead. They were all dead. He had finally won, at last, Max was the Family wizard- heck, he was the only wizard.

He went through a list in his head; Crumbs, Cragmont, Evillini, Hugh, Phoenix, all his Wiztech friends, and their whole families. Finally, he was the world's greatest wizard!

It was easy being the greatest with no one else to contest.

His journey here had been a strange one; he had not been sure he would make it. Justin got brains, Alex, instincts.

Max got whatever was left.

But now he could sit with his head held high!

...

There was one thing though, that he never quite appreciated.

He beat Justin, and Alex for that matter, but... it didn't matter to them. During the Competition, they had been distant, distracted really. Almost as if it neither of them could win.

Their life together, for that's what it was, was over. In some way, Max had counted on this. Without Alex, Justin would never research unanswerable questions. Without Justin, Alex was lost. It was the one thing in the universe that Max could count on; their life was one.

And then it died.

The end of the Wizard World was a long time coming. Monster hunters lost more fights than they ever got into. Evil ran rampant. It was only a matter of time before all the wizards were wiped out. The wizard world was so full of life.

And then it died.

The magic ran cool. Max could feel his world ending. Confused, he reached out and connected with the source, the meaning behind what was happening. There was a balance of good and evil, light and dark, right and left.

Justin and Alex.

Max swore loudly. It would just figure those two were keeping the universe together. What was he anyways? What was it that Harper always called it, "The Justin and Alex Show"? No... the other way around, Alex always insisted on top billing.

Max smirked, that was so like her.

Reality collapsed. He knew this was the end. One way or the other, slaughtering every wizard watching the Russo Competition was to be the end, but now he understood. The power, the fighting, it had to live on.

With a wave of his wand, he went back in time. Full wizards have that much power. He kept himself from the plan and explained what would happen. Of course, Past Max was upset. Why couldn't he be the Family Wizard? They already knew why; it never ends.

If Max was the Family Wizard, the fighting would stop. Justin would stop going over the top to win magic acheivements, Alex would stop trying to stop him. There would be nothing anymore. The world would be dead.

Justin was praised for his selflessness. Alex was a wizard now, and stayed with Mason. Always giving up for one another. Always.

Max walked away with a smile. He ran the shop now. But if you looked closely into his eyes, you would see what he really was. He was not what held reality together. Max was only one thing on the inside.

Dead.

A.N. I kept the Jalex, but from now on, I'll be throwing in some Max love. What do you all think?


	40. Zeke's Reflection

Everyone was always lying to me.

I'm Zeke. No... I know you don't want to hear my story. Who would? Gosh, even I know it's not that interesting. But I do know a story that you do want to hear; Justin and Alex.

Oh... got your attention now don't I?  
Yeah, it makes sense. Even before all- _that_- everyone knew those two.

Justin-nerd brainiac. He thinks of everything. No, really, he has a plan if tomorrow alien zombies with fire breath attack New York in order to convert us into an undead army to fight a war against pure energy beings that can travel through time.

The whole thing rests on his reliance of Alex.

Alex- creative hottie. (Just because I have a girlfriend does not mean I don't have eyes.) She doesn't really think, she just feels her way through stuff. If tomorrow, those same aliens were to come down and start attacking, I know exactly where she'd be.

And that was before I knew they were wizards.

...

Yep, I said it; they're wizards. Weird, huh? In hindsight, it makes sense. Actually, when I first met Justin, I assumed he was a kid from the 22nd century. All this weird stuff would happen around him.

Now I know it was magic...

And Alex. Wow, you think she's pretty? Try; pretty scary. I was afraid of her _before_ I found out she had magic powers. It explains a lot though.

But let's get to what I want to say; my story is a little important. See, even though Alex and Justin, occassionally Max, and typically Harper got up to all sorts of hijinks, I was completely in the dark. Heck, I never even _met_ Rosie.

For years, Harper knew about magic. **SHE KNEW! **I love my girlfriend. But imagine for a moment that there was this huge secret, and it was right out there, and in the subtext- everyone but you saw it. They must have thought it was pretty funny; Zeke, stupid, trusting nerd... clueless about what's really going on.

She knew.

But I know something no one else seems to have put together.

I see them. Justin and Alex and Justin and Alex. How they look at one another. How they hold one another a _little longer_ than they absolutely need to. How she pulls him away to talk in secret, even now. How he pulls her aside when he's freaking out, regardless of the fact _**his best friend is two feet away!**_

I know what they are. They don't know. No one else does as far as I can tell. Maybe Max does. Sometimes the two of us exchange glances- telling little signs that say, "They think that we aren't in on it, but we are."

Here's the truth; Justin and Alex are in love.

And I don't mean 'love' like Justin liked Miranda, or how Alex would stalk Riley. I mean, true, all-encompassing love.

Right now, they're in the corner giving each other the 'Jalex' eye. The want, the need... it's there. But they don't know.

I guess that's the worst part; after all this time of believing that I was the one with no clue, it turns out they were. Even before Justin told me he was a wizard, his relationship with Alex was... inappropriate. Maybe that's why I didn't realize what they were.

They are in the corner, constantly touching one another, ignoring what they undoubtedly feel. Max gives me a look as we wait for them to return. He has to know by now. Clueless Max. Always underestimated.

I wonder if Justin will forgive me for not telling him. Alex will never hear it from Harper.

Maybe I'm just as bad, lying for all these years. That's okay, because my story is out.

A.N. Not that good, but I wanted to give Zeke a chance.


	41. You Are Justin

Freak

You are an unloved freak, and completely alone. She's right in front of you, mocking you with the British Invasion. That's your new name for him. And it is so fitting. He came in and took what was yours. And she always was yours- your Alex.

Everyone saw it- you two hated each other. Undercutting each other's accomplishments, mocking one another almost constantly. But the truth was you two had so much love. In some ways, you were more loving towards one another than anyone else could ever be.

Alex laughs. You are such a sick freak- that's your little sister over there. The worst part is you can't even pour yourself into art. Yeah, you can play guitar, but not jazz. Alex could do it, a reason you hate her. If she were in your shoes, she would paint her feelings, and they would awe everyone who saw it. She is armed for problems like this- always has been.

Until now you never realized just how bad you had it- nor how much you needed her to help you. Alex was the one to say, 'help me' but you were the proud one- you forced her to know you needed her before ever accepting her assistance.

Shakira, Evillini, Zeke and Harper, time and time again she has understood humanity better than you ever could and every time she has stepped in even though you resisted her help. Alex was forced to fight you to keep you alive, and in love.

Juliet was the most damning example; you moped around and Alex, regardless of your pathetic excuse of a problem, solved what you could not overcome. She knew how to get you your love back. Alex is like that- solving problems you refuse to admit that you have.

And now here you are, terrified of what will happen if she turns that intuition against you. What if she figures it out? What if she's going to do what she always does and sees right through you?

Alex laughs, bowing her head against Mason's arm. She does that, lean on her man. Sometimes it's her boyfriend of the week, occassionally it's your dad. Usually it's you. It should be you. No one else will take care of her the way her older brother does.

You growl in anger when she pecks Mason's lips. He is so happy; he should be. Alex then gets up and heads over to you. That is never a good sign. Her hips sway ominously, promising so much- but providing so little. She breaths deeply, leaning back to stretch her chest which makes your mind go blank.

You are sick.

The cash register has been counted three times before she reaches the counter. Her hands fiddle nervously. That is a bad sign. Whenever she fiddles- it means she's up to something. And that something is almost always a bad thing for you.

"Justin, I need a favor."

You sigh out all that pent up frustration, "Alex, I'm a little too busy right now."

Sometimes she believe you when you say that, but only sometimes. This is not one of those times. Her lower lip pouts out, and she gives you the eyes.

"But Justin…"

"What do you want?"

She perks up instantly, "You know what a wizard flare is?"

You blush, and of course you should be blushing, "It's a biological imperative that ensures every wizard has at least one child. Until an heir is named, a wizard has flares; points in time when they have unusually strong breeding skills such as improved strength, stamina, and desire. Naturally, we have a twelve hour notice before it hits, and it only hits wizards who have someone to mate with. A wizard must be in a constant relationship with a suitable member of the opposite sex to experience a flare."

Somewhere along the way she zoned out, "Wow… you make the sexiest thing about us into a boring biology experiment!"

"It's not an experiment until we actually do something to test it, Alex!"

….Pause, you did not just ask to flare with her, you didn't.

Her eyes go wide. She smiles at you. What's happening here?

"Yes, Justin, exactly!"

Can this really be happening? Is she suggesting…

"Me and Mason need a date night. A really, _really_ good date night."

Your heart crashes instantly. She does not want you, she wants the British Invasion, ew. The older brother in you makes a nasty face, "And why is this my problem?"

She laughs, "Because you're going to help me!"

You hold out a hand, "Not interested."

Alex laughs a little too loudly, "Could you… check me out?"

(If only Alex knew what that meant...) Your face goes quite red, "I…. kind of already did that?"

She almost laughed at your questioning tone, "Either you did or you didn't. Which is it?"

You feel very ashamed. Alex is calling you out. How far this goes is a question you feel afraid of answering. Of course, it is still just a question, and you, Justin Russo, are always excellent at getting answers.

"What did Mason say?"

Alex looks down (so adorable); when she's bashful, when she's angry, when she's needy- especially when she's asking for your help.

"Uh, um... I-uh, I didn't tell him."

You laugh unintentionally, "He's a werewolf; they have a powerful sense of smell. If you're flaring he'll know, trust me."

She fiddles with her fingers. (Ah, distrust, there you are. You are more than needed here.) It feels amazing to see her not trust him, but you feel dirty inside, so you decide to give him the benefit of the doubt, "Maybe he just didn't think it was polite to mention," you put on your best impression of an Brit, "Oh, dear me, my girlfriend is ready for some of the Queen's royal guard, what-what!"

She laughs sweetly. (Caramel and coffee-toffee with icing and licorice and cake and-) You don't forget, you can't that you don't own that laugh. No one does really- she has a license on it, and whips it out whenever it suits her. Still, it's nice to bask in the sweetness of the sound.

"Yeah, what was I thinking?"

(**_Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick...)_**

You take some pride in knowing she came to you for help. Well, until you figure you're her only option. Dad is of no help at all in these situations. His little girl would not flare. Mom was worse, more accepting of the situation, but more ignorant of its necessity. Max… wow, there was no way anyone would ever talk to Max about this. Ever.

"What about you?"

Her question takes you off guard. It's almost like she's asking you-

"What did you do when you flared?"

You ignore it, "Step into my lair."

She rolls her eyes at you, "It's not yours yet, dork."

It will be soon. You put her on a pedestal and get to work. She looks a you with curiosity, no doubt her wonderfully adept mind was already instinctively absorbing all your skills with a simple understanding. No doubt she could do this same procedure on you- if it ever came to it. No doubt that, of the two of you, she's the real geius. That's her gift- pure understanding.

You go through some books as a refresher. Basic biology, physiology, and some history just to be sure she gets your absolute best. (What else would you ever give her?)

After what she calls an eternity, you are ready, "Hold still Alex."

Your little sister will ignore you. You know this. Still, after fidgeting, she sits still, "This is my right finger," You press your print into her back, "This is my left," Your fingertip digs into the skin. You press your left in a second time, "Which is pressing into you right now?"

She closes her eyes to think, "…Left?"

"Right! I mean, that's correct," her eyebrows quirk. You move to her chest, "Have you been feeling any bigger today, maybe some sensitivity?"

A slight brush of your palm and she gasps with pleasure. You are filled with happiness. After administering a few more tests, there is no doubt.

"Congratulations, little sister, your body thinks you're ready to mate."

She hugs you for no reason. It's not like you're the one who she's responding to. (The British Invasion got your sweet, adorable baby sister to flare? Unthinkable! If he had been able to do this on purpose, he would soon find out _**just how much dark magic you** **understand!**_) Still, you take it happily.

"What do I wear? What won't I wear?" A devilish smile crosses her face. She skips out of the lair happily. Right now, you just want to be alone.

Mason comes in. (British Instigation) It's the worst possible thing right now, to see him, "Hey Justin, be a chap and give me a hand?"

The urge to blow him up almost overwhelms you, "Whatcha need?"

He practically bounces happily, "Tonight Alex and I are going out and… it's going to be a great night!"

He knows. The fact that he does ticks you off. It almost feels like he's taking advantage of her situation. On the other hand, wouldn't you?

"Once more; what does that have to do with me?"

That smile… oh, he's just too much to deal with. (How much dark magic do you know? Well, you can write the book on it- a whole series, actually, and you want to start in Volume 'F' for "F- U' and after finishing at Volume U, you will then progress to the numbered volumes I-X, as in 'I will X you out' and then maybe, **_maybe_**you'll be done. Maybe... nah.)

"I need help making tonight special for her," He scratches his head, "I don't know what she likes, per se."

You want to strangle him, but realize it's pointless. After years of dating Alex, he's learned that she is sarcastic and tastes like pickles. If he were any more shallow, he would be a kiddie pool. Sighing, you get to work. You're Justin, it's what you do; homework, housework, and work at all to prove you are the good one.

(Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick...)

Within hours, the two of you put together a decent date for Alex. Arrangements are made at her favorite café; you ensure she will not have any chores to do by doing them yourself. Hours later, everything is ready.

Mason leaves most of the work to you. That's fine, it'd be worse to have him slow you down. Besides which, you could imagine it would be you and her tonight.

Alex is beautiful. (The dress is both too low-cut and too high. She knows, instinctively, how to work her flare.) Even Max takes notice of it. She comes down forcing her parents to go cry in the corner. They're so emotional. Harper breaks down too because apparently she cries when others cry. Alex is rolling her eyes the whole way. She smiles at Max before coming to you.

This has always been your moment, you sick freak. It's not Dad who she goes to, it's you. You're her rock; you're the one person she will always run to. And make no mistake; Mason will run from you if she runs to you. (In sing-song now; daaa-aaark Maa-aaa-aaagic...) There's simply something within her that compels her to show off for you. The second she stops, she spins. It's breath taking. (She is so, so... so beautiful. And yours. For right now, she is all yours.)

"Oh, Alex, you're beautiful," Her arms drift around you like they were meant to be there. For a second, everything is as it should be. Then you let go.

Over the last few hours, some people, people you considered foolish, may ask why you help these two stay together. You have never made it a secret that you hate him. And it's not like you get a lot of thanks from either of them. This is Alex and Mason- a rebel with an attitude and a dog. If they had manners, they have never shown them to you.

The truth is; you are a sick, lonely freak. Your life, all of it, sucks- thoroughly. All that work you do? Boring. Your grades? Worthless to the girl you love. Your social life is a gas. (And you can define how it is like that substance all too well.) You would not wish this on your worst enemy.

So of course you want to save Alex from it. Mason makes her happy- less lonely, anyways. If you broke them up, and that's not that hard really, she would be heart-broken, AGAIN. And that's not your goal. You may be a lonely freak, but there is no way you will **ever** let Alex be like that. Ever.

A.N. I liked it. But honestly, the next chapter is the best thing I have ever written. Really, it's that good.


	42. You Are Justin and Alex

A.N. This is pretty much the best thing I have ever written. Pay close attention. The paragraphs alternate between Alex and Justin's perspectives.

You are going somewhere. Anyone who has ever met you in your life knows that. Your mother and father are so proud of your achievements. Your little brother knows it. And so does she; your sister. She must know that you are leaving now. But not even your intelligence and love of lists and goals and projects can understand where you are going.

You don't know where he is going. One second you come home from one of the best dates your boyfriend has ever given you, the next… what just happened? Nobody knows. You got into a fight with your parents, a tradition going back to when you first started dating, and the after-date fight centered on Justin trying to trap you in a lie. His intelligence, his goal, it all boils down to whether or not he can outsmart you. He lists your clothes noting how short your black dress is, (He can see the hooks in your nylons) and how low cut it is (the top of your bra is clearly visible, he's shocked) but the whole time he's talking about something else and you know it. You tell him you were wearing a jacket. You use magic on each other. He stormed off leaving you blushing angrily.

You just left her standing there embarrassed. You used a truth spell on her. Why did you do that? For years and years, you saw this coming. The one day that you would know for certain that those sick feelings in your stomach, that wild, irrational desire that Alex brings out in you… just came out. And the worst part is, you recognized that the fact that it would be highly unlikely that you would be able to deal with it. So, you're leaving.

You know he doesn't want to deal with you, so, he's leaving. You swear angrily. Why did he use that truth spell? And why after years and years of fights do you **_now_ **have a sick feeling in your stomach? Oh… some part of you knows why. Recognizing that look in his eye, you stepped back, afraid. How can you be afraid? Justin is your big brother, he would never hurt you.

You are Alex's big brother, you would never hurt her. So that is why you must leave. You have done the math; go to Uncle Kelbo's. Tell him you need sanctuary from your sister (he would understand that) and ask to study under him. He'll do it. He respects you. You are eighteen; they cannot stop you, even if they wanted to.

He's eighteen; you cannot stop him even though you want to. Justin has been planning this for quite some time. Kelbo already told you. You asked your dear uncle not to let him, but Justin is smart, if he wants to, he can get around your tricks. The only choice is to get in your brother's way, and to get in his way beyond his ability to leave.

She is in your way, in a very Alex way, and has positioned herself to keep you from leaving. You don't feel like fighting, so you slam the door and use magic to activate every lock. You go back to packing. A flash communicates the fact that your sister just used magic to get around the locks. You sigh because you know life would be so much better if she could not just get around your barriers at will. But that's what makes her Alex.

He's Justin, so of course he puts up barriers- that's what makes him Justin; he raises them so you can go around them. Life is so much better once you get around his barriers. He is trying to shut you out. That makes you so much angrier. You flash in and feel even angrier when you see he is packing to leave. You want to fight, you _need _to fight. He will not fight you. He is busying himself with his items.

You busy yourself with your belongings. It was rude to lock her outside, and rude to ignore her, but right now, it is the best option. You hear her rail on you. She has not quite put the pieces together, but she's getting there. The word 'love' is thrown around a lot. (She says it so often, in so many contexts. And your name is synonamous with it.) You are not her boyfriend. She's beyond angry right now. You know you may never see her again, but you don't want to tell her the truth. Lying would be better, but you are not that good at lying.

You want to lie to him because it is so much easier than the truth. The word that keeps coming out of your mouth 'love,' it means something different to him and you know it. You try and ignore that voice in your head that tells you _exactly_ what kind of love he wants, but you ignore it. Your imagination is in overdrive, understandably, it happens. You see he won't be distracted, so you distract yourself with his stuff instead.

You know your sister is playing with one of your action figures. It fits in her hand comfortably as that horrible silence sets in. She's gorgeous- even playing with a toy illustrates her beauty. Of course, she just got back from a date, so her hair is done up, your make-up is immaculate. The dress… your throat and heart switch duties for a moment. It's perfect for her; coal black with fiery tips. It fits her so well it may as well be her skin. And you know you should be packing and not stopping to check her out but….

You know you should be stopping him from packing, but right now your brother is checking you out. That thought crosses your brain and you don't even know what to do with it. Was it torture all those years? All those hugs, and the cuddling, were they painful to him? Would you change it if you could? This is Justin, he's the good one, and he would not touch you. So now you know why he's putting a dimension between you two; he's keeping you away from him. He's _sick_ and he's doing this to make you _safe_.

You are sick, and she must be kept safe. Travelling to the wizard world will ensure **no one will ever hurt her.** She's let her older brother so far into her heart, if you take even a single bit more, she might break. You are the good one, you won't touch your baby sister. So you put your most expensive items in one suitcase and move on. She's angry. And Alex being angry usually leads to you suffering. You unconsciously hunch your shoulders; a reflex from years of torture. Her lips, all that physical contact and mockery and a thousand other things that led you to this moment all translate to one fact; you have to leave before it gets any worse. The thought has been rattling around your brain for years. You take a breath.

**CRASH!**

You took a breath before throwing the doll in ager. Your lungs are heaving now, partially from the stress of the situation, but mostly out of anger. How dare he leave you? How dare he feel that way about you! He turns, that stupid look is on his face. You're screaming now. He points to the wall shocked. You ask him what he loves most. He remains silent.

You keep quiet, even though inside you're terrified. Your breathing is irregular. It happens all time because you feel that way about her. You must look real stupid leaving right now but you have to. She's screaming, but this time it's an actual question. She wants to know if you love that doll. You look down. She's moving again, and… _oh crap_, she discovers your suitcase of expensive materials. She holds up your pc and asks you a simple question;_ do you love this more than me_?

It's a simple question, you think. What does he love anyways? Did he love Juliet? Does he love you? He has to love you, it's who he is, right? He answers 'no' in a tone that really ticks you off. He's being condescending _you hate when he's condescending_! You throw the computer too. It feels good to see him reacting to you. Without even realizing it, he's talking to you again.

You bite your lip when you realize you're talking to her again. Shut her out, shut yourself down, and don't engage. You are finished packing. Alex is doing something, she has to be or she would not be _your_ Alex. When you turn around, she's holding another expensive piece of technology. She asks that horrible question once more. You sigh, and try the other route.

**Here's a clue, when a girl asks you if you if you love your GPS more than her never, ****_never EVER _****say 'yes'.**

Here's a clue, when a girl asks you if you if you love your GPS more than her never, _never __ever _say 'yes'. Your eyes light up in anger. Your nostrils flare. **_A G.P.S., is he out of his frickin' mind? HE LOVES HIS STUPID-CRAPPY-NERDY-PATHETIC G.P.S. MORE THAN YOU?!_** That small voice that tells you what he really loves… (Alex. Alex. Alex. Alex) You do what you always do-react. You have ignored such voices for so long that you ignore it when it tells you he is just saying it to keep you from throwing it. There is no reason for him to _ever _say that! This time you aim for his head.

**CRASH!**

She misses your head by inches. Okay, you must have been out of your mind when you said that. She turns and rummages through the box again for ammunition. She's probably enjoying this. You leave, but the old fashioned way. You walk out of your room taking your first breath of freedom…. only to find yourself walking in from your closet. _Crap! _(In-Through-The-Outdoor... nice job, even though I'd never say it out-loud...) She makes a happy noise and selects a three hundred dollar personal bond that you won in a writing contest. You cast the counter-spell so you can leave. You have to disarm her, though. (How does Alex do it?! She always manages to get around you, through you- in a way that is terrifying.) You approach her carefully.

He approaches you like a lamb approaching a lion. You found what you wanted; now you're getting what you want. You made a noise when he walks back into the room. Magic is awesome. He is talking now, about his feelings. They are terrifying, but you have to listen. He can't fix this, or so he claims. The best way to fix this is to leave. He's lying to you, but for once, it's convincing.

You're telling the truth. All of it, not just what you think she can handle, but it isn't convincing her. She looks at you in shock. Finally, you decide you have no choice left. You pin her arms to the wall. Alex's eyes are wide with fear, and anger, and hate, and love and everything that's lovely about her. You kiss her.

He kisses you. It's angry, and hateful, and at the same time he loves you, and is very, very afraid. He pulls back. You can see in his eyes he didn't think he had a choice. You know him so well, he feels horrible right now, but he figured that you had a right to know. You take a breath and suppress the bile climbing up the back of your throat. Justin is finished.

It's finished; all the flirting, the awkward silences, the suppressed feelings. It's all over, and now she knows. So… it's finished. What you just did to her was sick and wrong. (I hate you, Justin. Justin, the older brother who would make sure _**no one ever hurt** **her-**_ just hurt her more than anyone.) She did not deserve that kind of treatment. You say something nice to remember you by, something cheesy she'll hate. You leave, or at least try.

**CRASH!**

He's trying to leave. To your unending surprise your stupid brother is _still_ trying to leave you. It makes you angry, so you knock over the entire suitcase of expensive items. He sighs condescendingly, which really _just __**pisses**__** you off**_! His condescension drills right through your brain and into the center of nerves responsible for hurting him. You know what you have to do, what you have to become to keep him. In three seconds he'll walk out that door and you're the only being in the universe that can stop him

She's the only being in the universe that can actually stop you. You are upset, but mostly because you knew this was coming. You have to leave. You can see in her eyes she's trying to figure it out, trying to make sense of a world you just threw into chaos. A small thrill runs through you as you realize she is going through the same process she put you through for years. The guilt is now suppressed since she finally understands. You wonder what she will do now. Just what exactly can she do?

You know exactly what to do. It's sick, and gross, but you have to. Justin always makes you do things you don't want to, but… it makes your life better. ('Brush your teeth' 'Make your bed' 'Comb your hair, Alex') He makes your life better. The sad fact is; as disgusting as this is, as **_sick_**as he is- it's Justin. Your Justin. You grab him, bring him close, and give him your best shot as a passionate kisser. For years, you've known what boys like; how to dress, how to walk, talk and act sexy. You let him get a good angle, bending just right so he has several nice images to work with while _you_ work _him_. And you make no mistake; this is a job. You hope you pass with flying colors.

Colors fly past your vision as Alex presses her lips to yours. And wow, just… wow, she's amazing. You want this so bad, want _her_ so **bad**. But you can't. That big voice in your head says it's wrong. It says you are leaving right now. That powerful voice is commanding you to do right- to do right by her, and walk away. This voice tells you she is vulnerable, (Alex? Have you met her?) It is interrupted by Alex who forces you back onto your bed. She comes at you like a cat. Something in her eyes makes you afraid. She's wilder now, and she attacks you with teeth and passion.

You attack him. The bites are because you're so angry he tried to leave. But you know the truth; you have to kiss him to get him to stay. (This is so, so, so, soso sosososo wrong.) Justin beneath you is fighting your hold on him. He doesn't trust you, and he shouldn't. Some part of him must understand you really don't want this, you really don't want him. You have to beat that part by being everything he's ever wanted- be everything he's ever needed- be Justin's Alex. So you get louder. You give him commands, words flow out of your mouth as you gain the upper hand. He listens and starts accepting your kisses. His resistance fades. You are horrified to think that anyone may walk in and see the two of you. But the only witness is Justin, and it's not like he will be telling anyone.

You will never tell anyone what Alex is doing to you. What she has done. She said everything you ever wanted... no, needed to hear from her. She's yours now. Alex may be a liar and a cheat, but when she puts herself on the line, there is no better guarantee. Not even you are an equal to her when she means business. As she walks out, you think… nothing. For the first time in a long, long time your mind is at ease.

Your mind is at war. You are disgusted with yourself. It's one thing to kiss a guy, to lead him on. (I mean really, how many times have you done that? Countless.)But your own brother? Lie to him; manipulate his heart knowing that you will be going out with Mason tomorrow? You pass your parents who are a little surprised to see you coming from your brother's room. They are not _very _surprised though. (Do you know? Do you know what just happened? What was just given up?)You feel upset with yourself. For years, you believed, foolishly, that Justin was some pure goody-two-shoes. You thought -**idiot girl**- that he was not like other guys. (Not like Dean or Mason, and especially not like Riley, whose resistance to bad girls was impossibly low.) So you did what you always did in impossible situations, you acted out to prove that you can achieve the impossible. Only a fool would want someone like Justin to have such a fault. Whether with magic or men, you can always break the rules, or better yet, have them break the rules for you. You hammered on him, and railed on him to erode his sense of morals, waiting for him to fall from grace. You thought this would be your moment of triumph. You thought this would make you happy. You just lost the one pure thing left in your life.

You finally got something in your life that is purely yours. No one else has Alex like you do. She fought for you. Alex fought to keep you around. She's kicked her boyfriends to the curb for far lesser infractions. (Dean was forgotten, Mason was always getting dumped, and Riley- he was gone before he even went out with her.) She loves you. This is undeniable. You stay in your room.

You need to get to a bathroom. Whether you vomit or shower it doesn't matter. There is no coming back from what you have done, what you have become. Justin would know a word for this; a brother and sister who- do whatever you're doing. And what's more, for the first time memory, you have actually handed yourself over to someone else. You belong to Justin; body and soul, and anything else he wants. If he asked for anything, he will have it. Right now he wants something sick and wrong, and so… he gets it. You will never be free of this.

You're free. Anyone who has ever met you has known that you are going somewhere… your mother, your father, your brother; they all know you are on the road to success. But only your sister knows that you aren't going anywhere.


	43. You Are Alex

You're Alex Russo, You're his little sister.

This is so… so wrong. It's sick, and wrong… and sick. It's not your fault, really, it was not your idea to date a sibling, but this goes too far, even for you.

You are dating Justin Russo, your older brother. He is deeply in love with his baby sister.

(Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick… He's wonderful and sick, wonderfully sick.)

This is new for you. (And how many things hasn't Alex Russo done?) Of all the things that you've done this is, by far, the worst. (Well, maybe not, but it's still pretty bad.) This is your brother. Your _brother! _Oh, yeah, you're a bad girl, but incest? (Justin teaches you the word, and gives you a real lesson in its history, dangers, and how dangerous what you're doing is. You almost fell asleep, but he started looking at you like he does before kissing you.)

It's all his fault- at least, that's what you keep telling yourself. Honestly, it's not like you had much of a choice. You tore him down, now you have to build him back up. Building a Justin Russo is more difficult than you realized. (It's a formula way beyond you- one that takes precious time to understand; he's knowledgeable, determined, and unbelievably focused. He is _so_ **hard** to fix.) You honestly don't know what you're doing half the time when you're with him, just praying he doesn't see right through your façade.

It's a curse-honesty. Life was much easier for you when lies kept you protected(alone). But being with him makes you honest, which is the worst possible thing. It means you can't hide from what you are-ever. You are a sick freak. Justin is still the good guy; he can't help loving you because somehow you made him that way. He has no choice, if it was, he would give you up, because that's who he is, what he is.

Sometimes, when it is dark, and you are alone in your room, it is hard to care what you are doing is wrong.

Sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes you don't care at all. Oh, the abomination of what you do never fully leaves you. Every day, you wake up in the same house, go to the same school, and after school, it's just you and him spending hours together-alone. Time is a precious thing.

After the incident in his room, you had to… think. After cleansing every single way you could possibly think of, (Why can't you get clean?!) you came to the realization that **_life will never be the same._**

You arbitrarily broke up with Mason. It's not hard, really. He heads off to sulk, and you do your best to ignore the guilt in your stomach. (Your heart is broken, _again_, and this time it is entirely your fault.) You do what you do best and move onto the important problem; Justin. Just like every other problem in your life you address this with imagination and color. You take your time with him. He takes hours greedily, like a starving man takes sustenance. Time is a precious thing.

Your dates are… difficult. He has to wear a disguise. But it's still him. You kiss your brother. It's so wrong, and you want to stop, but you can't or you'll lose him. You try your best not to think about it every second he is around, what he feels- what you don't. It's disgusting. (Swallow that bile, Alex, or he may leave. If it's for his little sister, he can do anything, become anything.)

The rest of the time is the best you've ever had. (Your best friend has always been your older brother.) He's warm, and attentive. Honestly, if he weren't your brother he'd be the perfect boyfriend. (Sick, sick girl) Even fighting him is more fun than fighting Mason- even when dating in secret you two don't break up. There's so much more than that to your time together. And somehow one refrain always touches your mind, 'time is very precious.'

The one truly good thing to come of this is your brother-no your lover- is so much better off. His attitude has improved markedly. He is doing better at school; his wizardry now is beyond what you can even pretend to understand. At wizard lessons, he does things that amaze Max, puzzle your father, and terrify you. He has surpassed anyone you've ever even _thought_ of studying.

"Alex, come here."

You have to obey, you agreed to it that night, as well to be his girlfriend regardless of how you feel. What if you say no and he leaves? That's your biggest fear- that he'll leave you. It is more terrifying than being caught. The idea that one day you will have a Justin, and the next you won't, is the darkest nightmare on your worst night. Every time you think about it, it makes your work just a little bit harder.

It is hard to be his girlfriend too; Hard to smile like he's Dean, hard to kiss like he's Mason. Not that you're disappointed- Justin always makes time together memorable.

Very memorable.

He took you to a carnival in India where you ate food that was simultaneously spicy and sweet. He stopped time in a bucket of water, shooting a laser through it which turned the living room into an explosion of the colors of a rainbow. Time is a precious thing. He used what is probably forbidden magic to bring back your favorite painters, Monet, Van Gogh and both of you loved Leonardo Da Vinci. He gave you wings of crystal, and had every bird in New York sing your playlist. You woke up to find two full moons in the sky (which brings Mason back to mind) because you told him you think a full moon is pretty. The sun burned blue because you painted it that way in your favorite work, and he thought it was more beautiful that way too. The sky turned bright red, which was terrifying. One day, he explained that the Milky Way Galaxy was on a collision course with another one. You were scared, so Justin intervened. (Both galaxies were moved.)

He warps the universe for you.

Simply put, you are nowhere near Justin's level of wizardry anymore. He is so far from you, sometimes you wonder if he is human at all. It's like he's having a wizard flare every hour of every day, and it just won't cut off. This can't be safe for him. Justin has to know that.

He won't leave you though, right? You're his little sister.

You come to him. He touches your skin (which feels weird) and suddenly you feel yourself, all of them. Every alternate life the two of you have lead, all the possible different realities you two could have gone down. You're always close. But not always his sister (other Justin's with other Alex's, it boggles your mind.). That worries you.

Professor Crumbs tells you that Justin is already a full wizard. Something in his voice tells you that's a bad thing.

"But he's my brother."

He gives you a look, as if you ought to know already why he's telling you this, what time it is for Justin. Time is precious.

…

After working so hard to keep him, you find out you will be alone after all.

He takes you out for the night. Justin wants to use a spell again.

"No," You insist, "Tonight, it's just you and me."

Time is precious. Justin holds your hand. The best relationship you have ever had is with your brother. The sickness inside him disgusts you but the truth (always there) is that you really do need him.

He does magic on plastic. Impossible. He makes Megan a full-wizard-inconceivable. He's losing touch with you; unbelievable.

No, literally, Justin is losing touch with reality; bit by bit the person you knew is disappearing. It's like the more spectacular your time together is, the more rapid he disappears. It's terrifying. One second he's talking to you about date night (your heart filled with apprehension) and the next he vanishes- for days.

He misses date night. Even though dating him is wrong, you still feel disappointment. How could this happen? Justin insists it's nothing, but… he can't lie to you. He no longer leaves finger prints when he touches something. (Or someone, you have noticed. He likes to hold your hand, but no longer leaves any impressions.

He's a ghost slipping further and further away. The harder you hold to him, the worst it gets.

Finally, after an eternity, the rest of the family finds out. You were the first to know, even before Justin did, you knew. You felt it, deep, deep inside. In a place where no one really knew about, your heart could feel Justin slowly drifting from you. Every time it spoke up, you ignored it, even though every time was a precious thing.

You mother and father are distraught. No one knows exactly what to do- should anything be done? Can anything be done? The family is tense.

What's even happening? It's your fault, you know. Who else is to blame? Justin is gone more and more often every day. And to make it more complicated your time with him is all the richer. Time is precious.

He takes you to Ancient Egypt and turns the pyramids ninety degrees for you. (They're easier to draw that way.) He doesn't care anymore- he does whatever you want him to.

Except stay.

Days pass, he gets worse, or better depending on the point of view. It's like your brother is gone, replaced by nothing less than a **god**. This god is petty- and infatuated with you beyond belief. He watches you constantly, apparently no longer needing any sleep. Every night, he watches you go to sleep, and every morning he watches you wake up. Only one word ever gets communicated anymore, 'beautiful'.

He becomes transparent, literally and figuratively. (Beautiful) No more date nights. He passes through solid objects- no more touching. (Beautiful) He can no longer hear music, or talk, but he watches you. He sees you dance, or talk to Harper, and that's his only connection to reality anymore. He explained it to you one time; it's like tunnel vision, and you're the light at the end. Time is very, very precious.

Finally, one day, you just start crying. It's like you never even had a brother. You're sobbing uncontrollably, desiring so much **_not to be alone._** (Not sick anymore, were you ever sick? No, just selfish. A selfish little girl who selfishly demanded more of her brother than he could safely give, yet still beautiful.) Justin comes to you, (comfort me, please, please, please, I'll do anything but don't leave me…) but he just explodes. Pure energy seeps from him. It's so bizarre. Yet it is so weird you can't help but feel like it is life as usual for your family.

Everyone comes to say goodbye: Harper and Zeke, Mom and Dad. Max comes by himself. (Does he even know they're there, does he see, or hear, or feel anything but you?)

Justin is on the floor, rolling as if in agony. Pure white, deep purple, rich brown, and golden yellow run out of him like water from a facet. You understand now; Justin is magic. He's disappearing into a ball. (You've always manipulated magic to your own ends, selfish, beautiful girl, so sick.)

Everyone talks to him; they want him to know they he meant something to them. You don't care at all. You just want it to stop. You beg him as loudly as possible.

(Please! I'll do anything! I did whatever you wanted, and I was a good girl, and you can't blame me for this, why is it my fault?! You promised, you did, you said you weren't leaving, and I was a good girlfriend, like no one has seen me, and you said you'd stay so stay, I know you can! Please, I'll try harder! I'll hold your hand and kiss you and marry you or whatever, but **_please, please don't leave me_**.)

You're crying. He looks at you like he hardly knows anything- like he's lost all hold on reality. Screw it. There was a time when this shamed you, but now; Time is precious.

In front of them all, you embrace and kiss him. No, he's not who you wanted to date. This is sick, disgusting and wrong. (Beautiful?) But this is the right move. Your kiss ends, and he's gone, puffs of golden wisps is the air.

…Empty.

Nothingness, space where their once was….someone, or something….

You collapse. No one talks about what you just did. Maybe it makes them uncomfortable. Or maybe they know what little time you had with him was precious.

After all, you were (his beautiful, sick) little sister.

A.N. Maybe one more…


	44. And Found 1

And Found... A.N. This is the continuation of 'Lost.'

Chapter One

Justin was alone, "Alex?!" He called into the dark. His momma had always told him to follow his heart; so he was, "Alex?! Where are you?!"

It was raining. He bitterly decided to learn how to make an umbrella- or something. The rain was chilling him to the bone. The street was dark.

"Alex!"

He had left his preschool while the teacher was not looking. His sister had been gone for a couple of months now. His parents no longer spoke of her. It was like she had never existed…

At first, he was a very happy little boy. His parents paid more attention to him than ever. Over time though… it was like a hole in his heart. The house was quieter than it should be. All his plans and toys to play with, like a ball, or a teeter-totter, suddenly reminded him of her absence. Jerry and Theresa _never_ let him out of their sight. That broke him. The mistrust, which they said was in the outside world, felt like they were angry at _him._

Justin was a very sad little boy.

He stopped to rest by a lone street. Something with wings flickered past his vision. It disappeared quickly. Rubbing his eyes, the young wizard checked the map in front of him. Checking off all the checked areas, the wanderer found himself exhausted but determined. He had a map of New York to work through.

He trudged on, sneezing.

"Oh… I want my mommy…" But he could not stop until Alex had a mommy too. After hours and hours, his exhausted body beneath the soaked clothes finally collapsed. The boy kept going, "Alex…"

Finally, he fell against a light post, determined to get some rest. A figure stooped down.

"Oh, Justin, sweetie…"

"Momma… I gotta find Ow-wex…" He shook his head, "I mean Alex…"

She pulled him tightly into her coat, "Oh, baby… you will. I promise. I guarantee it, actually. You just have to keep trying and never give up. And never ever stop going after her. Do you understand?"

"I just don't know where she is…!"

The little boy found himself nuzzling comfortably into the warm body. Absently, the part of his brain that kept a checklist determined to mark off the house with the name, 'Blatt' on it. No way his sister would be there. His mother said some encouraging things on exhausted ears, things that would stay with him forever.

He knew only one thing; he would die to protect Alex.


	45. And Found 2

Chapter Two

"Justin!" Mary/Alex was yelling for attention- again.

"What?"

She smirked as he fell out of his chair in shock, "Are we almost done…?"

He scowled, "No."

Her face fell. It had been like this for months. Justin had decided to stay home from college to help her graduate. She was beginning to wish he had left. He was so… over-protective? It was weird for her. The first decade of her life, she had no one to care for her, now she had this boy obsessed with her.

"It's four-thirty," He said dully. Mary groaned. This reminded her why she liked keeping Justin around. As creepy as it was, her time without him was even worse. He was her friend.

Mary packed up her things, "I have to get home and clean the house. Will you give me a hand?"

Justin agreed, of course. Even though she was scared of how deeply he cared for her (no one else seemed to care at all) there were some great perks to having a best friend like him. For instance; the nerd was **obsessed **with cleanliness. He would scrub down her house to the point that even Dominique would be impressed.

The two walked together in relative harmony. Alex fiddled self-conscious. What if he wanted more from her? She had never been naïve- she knew what boys thought of her. No boyfriend, no one even interested in her- it all led to people thinking she was desperate for love. And she was desperate for love, not that she wanted to be.

Still, what if Justin asked her out? He was cute, in a nerdy way, kind to her, and a good listener. But did she feel that way about him? She believed herself a replacement for the little sister he lost, so how could they have any kind of relationship?

Then again, if she refused him, would he leave her? What would she do then?! He was the only one who cared about her, her only friend in the whole world. If he left, she would be alone.

The idea of that terrified her. She quickly realized that she had to give him whatever he wanted. Right now, that meant be his little sister. What if, someday, he demanded more?

As they reached her door, and he stepped into the darkness of her house, she realized that she would give him anything at all- she had to.


	46. And Found 3

Chapter Three

Mary awoke to her teacher staring down at her.

"Miss Santiago, please report to the principal's office."

She turned bright red. Dominque had kept her awake the night before scrubbing the porch. (Why?) If it weren't for the fact that Mary had a habit of snoring…

"You too, Finkle."

A red-haired girl, who had also been snoring, popped up, "What?"

The class laughed at the girls' retreating forms.

Mary kept silent as the two walked, but 'Finkle' just _would not shut up!_

She explained her interest in fashion, and music, and sewing, and how she was an olny child- not that she found this an excuse to cut her explanation of her family short.

"I know my Mom doesn't think that my Dad can get the part, but I say, 'why not'? It's not like they can make 'Spring Breakers' without a weird dude to pour the drinks. Who are they gonna get, that guy from 'Wizard of Oz?' Weirdo!"

At the world, 'wizard', Mary quirked an eyebrow up in doubt.

"Really, you really think that wizards exist?"

For some reason it was important that she know the answer to this question.

"I don't know," Answered the girl, "But uh, everything is not what it seems…"

The two were in detention together for hours. When she left, Mary was… happy? She finally had another friend. But, as with Justin, this would put her in greater danger than ever.


	47. And Found 4

Chapter Four

Justin was clearing tables at the Waverly Substation. It was the only way he could pass the time between working online for his college classes and of course- Alex. She was his goal in life now. Stevie had left him behind months ago because of her envy. Nothing else mattered to him.

Justin knew Alex was... uncomfortable around him. She would flinch whenever he reached for her. That was okay, though, she still let him hold her. Alex, no, Mary, needed him around. He was sick because her weakness made his life complete. She was on her way, right now, to the substation. He would tutor for free, something his little sister needed.

His life was complete. As empty and hollow as he was, he had her. But what of the angels? Yes, those filthy winged beasts had been silent for months, but for some reason, Justin did not think they would throw away a fifteen year plan.

He paused for a moment, "Hey Max, do you remember where I put that stick? I want to put it to use."

Max gestured to the cooler. Justin nodded, and headed in. He shut the door behind him, feeling unhappy. He stood there awhile, apparently sorting through his thoughts. Suddenly, he picked up a large club, spun around, and brought it down on the head of an invisible angel.

The figure hit the ground with a thud.

"Ow! Justin, that wasn't very nice!"

He scowled irritably, "What do you want?"

Rosie climbed to her feet, "Hey! There's no reason to be so rude!"

Justin huffed and brushed past her, "Whatever."

She pursued, "Listen to me! Alex is in trouble!"

That stopped him. She knew it would. For a second, the angel stared at the world-weary back of the ex-wizard. He had given everything he could- his time, his youth, his magic, and his well-being to save his baby sister. And now, someone he had not even grown up with needed help from him.

Justin turned to face Rosie. His face was paler than she remembered- he was mortal, and not well-prepared for life without power.

"I have to help her," He picked himself up and exited the cooler, "Mary!"

The girl walked in with a new friend, "Hey Justin, we'll study later. Me and Harper are going out shopping!" With that, she bolted out of the door without even saying goodbye.

For a brief moment, Rosie was worried. To defeat the dark angels, she needed Justin to save his sister. But what if he decided that Alex was not worth saving? What if, after seeing how quickly she replaced him, how little he meant to her, how little she valued his contributions, Justin decided not to help? What if, right now, Justin decided that Alex was just some girl he knew, a stranger, really, and decided to move on with his life? Rat her out to the Wizard coucil and take his powers back?

He turned with fury in his eyes, "How do I save her?"

There should never have been any doubt; Justin would always save Alex.


	48. And Found 5

Chapter Five

"C'mon Mary, we've got to figure out how I'm going to get Justin to fall in love with me!"

Mary rolled her eyes. Like Justin would _ever_ go for her friend, "Well, maybe you could do something to get his attention. I usually mock him or something…"

Harper laughed, "Yeah, I just want to make sure he really, _really_ likes me before- uh, you know…"

Mary turned to look at her new friend, "Wow, not really a good girl are you?"

The red-haired girl hid behind a cute hat, "Let's just say that I want to be good for him, okay?"

The two shopped together for a few moments. Mary felt a bit bad for running from Justin. Yeah, he was obsessed with her, but at least he cared. His nature was noble- he did things to help others, not himself. Mary was becoming more and more selfish. It was like… being around him showed her how much she wanted out of life.

Harper's eyes flew up, "Let me ask you a question, 'kay?"

Mary nodded.

"How do you get Justin to love you, even when you're so mean?"

The Latina paused, "…Do you really think he loves me?"

Harper nodded, "He'll never love me the way he loves you…"

Mary buried her head, "I've never been loved before."

"Oh sweetie," Harper put her hand on Mary consolingly, "I'm so sorry."

Mary rubbed her wet eyes, "It's not your fault, I mean, it's not like there's a magical solution to finding my parents, right?"

Harper looked away in silence. Little did either suspect that in a few days' time, they would be at each other's throats.


	49. And Found 6

Chapter Six

Justin sat in a chair in (cough heaven cough) the Light realm, "So what's the plan here? I mean, I'm powerless, I don't think I can help you."

Rosie patted his shoulder, "You already are. Look, the prophecy is clear; whatever choice one of you makes, the other will go opposite. It's in your nature. Both of your natures. If she chooses to do bad, you will do good. But when she does good, you end up doing something bad."

He growled in annoyance, "I refuse. I won't help you if it means fighting Alex."

The red-head smiled appreciatively, "No… you will have to choose. Sooner or later Alex will, and that means that the other side will get you. Of course, we will try and protect Alex as best as we can!"

Justin felt the realization hit him, "You hope she'll work for you... what happens to me then?"

The angels paused in their work, turning to his accusing glare.

"We'll do what I should have done in the first place- protect Alex."

"By killing me?"

…..

"…Yes, We'll kill you."

His shoulders sunk. For a second, he appeared defeated. Then, his face rose accusingly, "look at yourselves. You're the good guys? You're heaven's hope? You let a little girl get kidnapped and put in an abusive situation, and now you're telling me that this whole time, I have to been trying to save her, you were just keeping me as a lamb led to slaughter?"

Rosie swallowed, speaking quietly, "It's for a good cause…"

Justin scoffed, "So how will you do it, huh?" He glared directly into her eyes, which had started to tear up, "And who?"

"I will," She said with force, "This is on me. I will take the burden."

"You need me to take a fall, right?" Justin snarled.

Rosie nodded her head.

"What happens if I don't? I barely know this girl!"

The angel sighed, "Would you kill your sister? Would you even try to fight her?"

"I don't know that I'll have a choice, but..." He nodded in understanding, "Promise me that this time, you'll protect Alex."

Rosie teared up as she answered, "I swear it."


	50. And Found 7

Chapter Seven

Mary sat nervously in her friend's house. The girls had finished shopping and turned in. Her friend was off getting tea.

The house was totally dark. It was quiet, and empty, which disturbed the wizard. Dead. That was the word to describe it.

"Grandpa, meet my friend Mary!" The red-haired girl led in an elderly gentleman wearing a velvet suit.

"Good evening, Alex," Hissed the gentleman, "It's so nice to meet a friend of my niece's. How do you do?"

"Uh… is that fancy talk for, 'what up' or something?"

He laughed, "Something like that. How do you take your tea?"

"After 's', I suppose."

He laughed again, "That's what I like to see; a quick wit." He turned to Harper and whispered, "Would you excuse us, dear, she and I have much, much more to cover…"

The girl nodded nervously and left.

Mary spoke with the old man for several hours. He seemed very interested in her, specifically the choices she made. This eerie old man liked hearing of her pranks, and congratulated her on getting away with so much...

Finally, she noticed that her evening study date with Justin was coming due, "I have to go."

"Of course," he nodded solemly, "But, just to let you know, he isn't there."

There was something in his voice; some deadness, but surety that spoke that _her _Justin would not be there... it scared her

Mary turned with fear in her eyes. Then she bolted out of the door and down the street. It took about ten minute to get to Waverly place and a few more after that to get to the shop. The girl was plain out of breath by the time she got there.

"Justin, sorry I'm late but-" She paused. The place was empty. Well, there was Max, but he seemed to be frozen…

"Max, are you okay?"

"Relax, I just put him on ice, okay?"

Mary spun to find her new friend Harper strutting in confidently.

"How did you get here before me?!"

The girl laughed, "Magic."

Mary huffed, backing away, "There's no such thing…"

"Isn't there? Haven't you ever made something happen when you were excited, or angry? Have you felt a great power building and building inside you for years?" (Yes, I got that line from Harry Potter. Don't sue me, I just wanted to reference it!)

Mary hit the door, "What are you- I mean," She looked at this foreign girl, "Please… please…. What am I?"

Harper leaned in close, "You're an alien."

Mary's eyes went wide, "What?"

Harper nodded, with some sarcasm, "You're from planet Dream-Out-Loud. Every few years our kind switch genders. You should be getting your boy parts soon."

Mary's eyes went wide. Seconds later, Harper burst out laughing, "Man, if you could just see your face!"

Mary growled out her annoyance, "What am I?!"

"We're wizards silly!"

…

Alex rolled her eyes, "…Really? You've got to be kidding me!"

Harper laughed, "I thought Justin would have told you by now," the Latina's face fell, "Oh, he didn't? Why not…? Unless, maybe he didn't trust you? Of course, that makes sense! He wouldn't tell you!"

Alex looked up with a pout, "Why not?"

"Oh, there's this little prophecy thing he's probably worried about. It doesn't matter. Once you get turned in, they'll strip you of your powers, unless…"

"Unless…"

"Unless you take him out first."

Alex clenched her fists, "Justin's a wizard, and so are you?"

Harper shrugged, "Not exactly. He's lost his powers. The Russos don't have a family wizard!"

Alex/Mary huffed in confusion, "A family wizard…?" On some deep, primal level, Alex felt the connection, put it together, "It was him? He's family?!"

Harper nodded, "I thought he would have told you by now… unless, you know, he still plans on taking you out. See, if he can beat you, he'll get his powers back."

Mary clutched herself, "This can't be happening."

Harper shrugged, "I can show you."

The two stood in silence, "Show me who you really are 'Harper'."

Mary watched as Harper pulled out a wand, and waved it. The form that emerged was familiar.

"You're…"

(Flash)

Justin awoke on a roof in the Dark Realm.

"Well done, Rosie, I can see why you said that he was our best bet," A gentleman in a velvet cap rose, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gorog, master of all darkness. You remember me, right?"  
The boy nodded, "Rosie, why…?"

She refused to look at him, "This had to happen, Justin. Here and now, the decision must be made. The battle deciding the future of good and evil is at stake here."

Justin looked at his feet, "Whatever side I choose, Alex will chose the other?"

Gorog nodded.

"Then I choose…"


	51. Chapter 51

A.N. Wooooow... it's hard to believe we're already past fifty chapters! I thought about putting in a filler chapter, but... man, I am behind in my work! Please Read and Review, it really helps me focus! Anywho, where were we...?

Chapter Eight

There are many powers a wizard possesses. For instance, time manipulation. Any given wizard may decide to manipulate quantum machanics to their own ends. Young wizards can slow, or stop time for a limited stretch. I certain cases, it is possible to entirely reverse it, unfortunately without the aid of a device, it takes but three things.

1) A very powerful wand.

2) A point of weakness within the time continuum. (To be brief, this point is any given coordinate in which destiny has _not _been determined. So, if someone dies at that point, or decides to be a rodeo clown for a traveling carnival run by an elf named Big Nose... no one may go there.)

3) Lots and lots of power. It would take a full wizard over a day to store the juice, even with the help of say... dark angels...

Nevertheless, power, and its perks, are lost on lonely girls.

For years, Mary Santiago imagined herself to be totally alone. Today she learned that she had been surrounded by her own kind all along.

'Harper' waved a wand, turning into Stevie, Justin's ex-girlfriend, and explained that she would send Alex back in time, "This is kind of a one-time deal. I spent all day waiting for this moment. I'll show you Justin's true colors, just make sure you take him down. Someday, I guarantee that the two of you will fight it out...!"

With a flash, the Latina was sent back through time. She felt herself tumbling and whirling out of control, but knew, instinctively, where she was going.

Mary appeared on a street corner about a decade prior. She saw little Justin tromp out of the sub shop and down the street. Following him for hours, she came to realize just how insane her brother was. Finally, in the rain, she could watch his loneliness no longer.

"Oh, Justin, sweetie…" She stooped over the tiny exhausted form. Weary tears were stuck in his eyes, too tired to fall.

"Momma… I gotta find Ow-wex…" He shook his head, "I mean Alex…"

Mary's heart broke. This whole time, he had been so driven to protect her. And what had happened? Were they truly going to be forced to fight each other? The girl pulled him tightly into her coat, "Oh, baby… you will. I promise. I guarantee it, actually. You just have to keep trying and never give up. And never ever stop going after her. Do you understand?"

"I just don't know where she is…!"

She shushed him, pulling him closer, "She'll never say it, but you mean the world to her. Every day when she gets out of school, she will run to you. When she's alone in the dark, she'll laugh, because she knows what it is really like to be alone, and now that she has you, she can never be that alone again. You'll love her, really, really love her. And you'll mean it."

His freezing skin pressed against hers. His cheeks were pressed flush against her, dying from the cold. She carried him home to Waverly Place. His parents were sitting at a booth, crying into each other's arms. Alex/Mary sat down her burden with care. Justin was still shivering, so she put her coat over him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Jerry stood up and tried to control himself, "I'm sorry, we're closed."

"Oh," Mary fidgeted before realizing this may be her family, "I need some help going to home."

"Sure, where do you live?"

"The problem is when I live."

It took a second for the wizard family to get what she meant by that.

Jerry nodded understandingly, "Yeah, I think I have a spare wand."

Mary sat down across from Theresa, trying to see any resemblance. The older woman noticed the girl's stare, "I must look like a mess."

"No, no," Mary sighed, "Well, yes, but it's okay to be sad sometimes."

Justin sighed sleepily behind the pair. The women spoke for several minutes about themselves. Even when Jerry returned, they kept talking, both feeling much better.

"I don't know what to do about Justin. But I am glad you found him. I only hope he'll get over this. He's too young to carry this burden!"

Mary stood, "I think he'll be okay. His sister loves him."

Her parents looked at her in confusion. Perhaps, just as the girl left, Jerry and Theresa might have hoped-

Alex picked up the wand and disappeared.


End file.
